《Fog and Steel: A Kenshi Survival Story》


 Chapter 1: Welcome to Mongrel

    <u>Chapter 1: Welcome to Mongrel</u>


    He opened his eyes. He was on the ground. Last thing he remembered, he had just made it out of the Holy Lands and had descended into a valley that was thick with fog. Fog thick enough that he struggled to see more than ten feet in front of him. He remembered the sounds of battle and the screams he heard as he slowly traveled through the fog. Eventually, night fell, and his already poor visibility became even worse.


    He had found a nearby rock face to lay his sleeping roll next to and fell asleep. He remembered being woken by the sound of someone in the foliage around him; however, night had only gotten darker, and the fog obscured everything around him.


    He closed his eyes. If he wasn¡¯t going to be able to see them, he might as well eliminate the distraction of trying altogether and rely on his other senses. He listened closely as the footsteps came closer and closer. How many were there? Two? Four? More?! The number of footsteps seemed to keep increasing as the sound of his would-be attackers crept closer and closer. The scent of stale blood filled his nostrils as he sensed the first attacker lunge.


    He quickly dodged out of the way only to be tackled from behind by another. He pushed the creature away as though it were a child. Given the thin nature of what had tackled him, it seemed he had encountered the rumored Fogmen: Hive savages who had abandoned their Hives and chosen a life of barbarism in the Foglands, preying upon and sacrificing foolish travelers to their Fog Princes.


    He had barely had a chance to stand up when he was grabbed by another. Then a third. Then a fourth. Soon, he was being beaten by a dozen different Fogmen.


    And that was all he remembered. He sat up slowly, rubbing the knot that was still on the back of his head. He hadn¡¯t been eaten, and he wasn¡¯t bound to a pole, so something must have happened while he was out.


    He looked around to find he was in the center of a town. What¡¯s more, he was actually able to see the buildings around him. Had he been carried out of the Foglands?


    He looked down to notice he had been stripped of all his belongings aside from his cloth pants and a rusty iron stick. The Fogmen, or courtesy of my ¡°saviors¡±? he wondered. Checking his bag, he found he still had his Cats.


    ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t rob me,¡± he mumbled to himself, ¡°so I guess that answers that question.¡±


    He stood up as a dark-skinned woman with deep red hair was walking towards him.


    ¡°Excuse me, Scorchlander,¡± he said, holding out his hand to halt the woman. ¡°I apologize for da intrusion, but where am I? Da last thing I remember, I was traveling through da Foglands when I was attacked und captured by da Fogmen. Now I wake up here, stripped of all my belongings, ja.¡±


    Frelka spoke with a lilting cadence, his vowels rounded and softened, while certain consonants seemed to roll or almost sing, giving his words a gentle, melodic quality. A trait that always seemed to at least garner a reaction from those he just met; however, not even his accent shook her from her perpetual daze.


    The Scorchlander looked at him¡­or at least, in his direction. As Frelka looked at her, he noticed there was a lack of light coming from her glazed gaze, as though all drive or hope had been driven from them. After a moment, the woman spoke up.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Shryke,¡± she said, her tone as flat as her affect. ¡°And if the last thing you remember is being captured by Fogmen, then I¡¯d say you better thank whatever god you worship that you¡¯re still alive. You know what they do to their prisoners don¡¯t you?¡± She paused and shook her head. ¡°Nevermind. If you don¡¯t, you will soon. We can hear the screams of those they capture every night when their Fog Princes come for their sacrifices. Why they don¡¯t kill their victims before they eat them is beyond me. Maybe it tastes better that way. Regardless, you¡¯ve been spared a terrible fate, though I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s where your luck runs out, traveler. You¡¯re in Mongrel now: a solitary island in this sea of fog and death. You can¡¯t leave. No one can. Not unless you want to die, that is.¡± The despair in her voice was matched only by the emptiness in her eyes.


    Frelka felt a twinge of pity for the poor girl. No one should have to live like this. Kenshi was a hard enough moon as it was without the need of this added trouble. He put on his biggest smile and flexed his large muscles as he said, ¡°Frelka is never trapped, ja! I got here, und I will get out. Nothing will stop me!¡±


    Frelka had always said he was the reason they said, ¡°larger than life.¡± Easily standing close to eight feet tall, he towered over everyone he met. And his height wasn¡¯t the only thing ¡°larger than life.¡± Frelka had trained with his father every day for as long as he could remember, and his physique was evidence of that. With biceps the size of some people¡¯s heads, he was truly an impressive specimen. His shoulder-length golden blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and clean-shaven, almost angelic face completed the massive figure that was Frelka.


    Whether it was the presence of hope in a place where such a thing was devoid, or his dominating features, Frelka wasn¡¯t sure, but he could see the glimpse of hope that sparked deep in her eyes.


    Warily, she said, ¡°What makes you so sure you¡¯ll be able to get out when so many have failed, huh? What makes you think you¡¯re any better than everyone else that came before you? Hells, the only reason you¡¯re even here now is because you got lucky, and some kind soul rescued you.¡±


    Frelka felt the accusation stab through him like an arrow. She wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. Despite his impressive physique, Frelka had only just started his adventurer¡¯s journey a week ago. He had managed to make it through the Holy Lands largely unscathed, though this was only because he was human¡­and male. Had either of those things been different, he likely would not have even made it to the Foglands in the first place.


    Still, his father had been a successful adventurer, and his father¡¯s father before him. All the way back as far as his lineage could remember, every Frelka took the mantle of adventurer and went out to prove himself in the world around him, helping those along the way and doing what they could to make the world a better place. This was his journey, and he wouldn¡¯t be the first one to fail his family now. If he was stuck in Mongrel, then that just meant it was where his story was supposed to begin.


    He placed a hand on his hip while the other reached out to pat Shryke on the shoulder. ¡°You fret too much about things that don¡¯t matter, ja. these Fogmen are thin tvigs to snap beneath Frelka¡¯s boots. If they get in my way, I crush them.¡±


    Whatever had sparked the initial flame of hope in her seemed to have been pushed to a smolder with this confidence. Slowly, Shryke allowed herself a tentative smile. ¡°Then,¡± she began, her hand inadvertently reaching for the rusting glaive on her back, ¡°if you¡¯re so sure, allow me to join you. If you can get us out of this hell, I¡¯ll stay by your side.¡±


    Frelka smiled and nodded. The more the merrier. Adventurers don¡¯t prove themselves on their own, and having her by his side would not only help her, but allow him to help even more people.


    ¡°Well, now that that''s settled, let¡¯s go to da gates, ja.¡±


    Shryke¡¯s face, just beginning to remember the warmth of hope, visibly sank again and Frelka worried he had lost what little progress he had made. ¡°Why are we going to the gates?¡± she asked, her voice thick with concern.


    Frelka continued his confident fa?ade. ¡°Because while we may not be strong enough to take on a full group of these Fogmen just yet, we can certainly build up our skills if we stick to da outskirts of da skirmishes with da guards at da gate.


    ¡°Eventually, we¡¯ll be able to venture out und tackle smaller groups on our own. It won¡¯t be an easy process, but nothing worth doing ever is, ja.


    ¡°Come, we¡¯ve spoken long enough¨CI¡¯m itching to pay these Fogmen back, ja!¡±


    With this, he strode past her, leaving her no choice but to follow along behind him. They walked past the dilapidated buildings. Perhaps it was due to the nature of its solitude, but Frelka was impressed with what he saw. He passed a bakery, weapon smith, armor smith, mechanics shop for prosthetic limbs, three bars, a police station, and a faction HQ for a local guild. He also saw a number of homes listed as vacant and for sale.


    Homes weren¡¯t exactly cheap, but buying a home would eventually become cheaper than paying the fifty Cats per person to rent a bedroll at the bar each night. Plus, they¡¯d be able to start setting aside items they wanted to keep without having to carry them around everywhere. And with their own space, they¡¯d be able to buy research books and begin learning how to make weapons and armor. Or, if he was so inclined, learn how to bake, cook, and create various liquors, because of all the places this town did have, he couldn¡¯t help but notice there was no Frelka¡¯s Tavern. Even if there were three bars, every town needed a Frelka¡¯s Tavern!


    They finally reached the east gate, one of two into the city, just as a group of Fogmen were running toward them, yelling. The city guards wasted no time rushing out to engage them, their protective armor and shining weapons sparking a bit of uncharacteristic envy in Frelka.


    He shoved his thoughts aside and charged in. He and Shryke found a lone Fogman and engaged him. It was armed very similarly to Frelka, though naked with a rusty iron stick as a weapon. But Frelka¡¯s muscles weren¡¯t just for show, and the twig-like form of the Hive Fogman didn¡¯t stand a chance against his might.


    He swung and struck at the Fogman only to find his attack miss! Faster than he looks, he thought. The Fogman smirked before the unseen glaive of Shryke struck at him from behind. Had it been of better quality, it likely would have killed the creature then and there. As it was though, her glaive was in little better condition than his iron stick, and what should have been a slash served more as a bash. Still, Frelka saw the twinge of pain in the creature¡¯s eyes as it winced at the blow, turning its attention to the small Scorchlander.


    Seeing his opening, Frelka ran and tackled the creature from behind, bludgeoning its head with his stick. Before he could even stand back up, he felt the sting of another iron stick against his back. Scrawny though they were, Frelka realized there was a hidden strength to the Hive physique. He felt the crunch of a rib as a second blow struck him. He looked to see Shryke being similarly overwhelmed and dashed towards her, scooping her up with one arm and retreating to the safety of the guard¡¯s defenses.


    Placing her down on the ground near the inside of the gate, he quickly bandaged her wounds and stabilized what were undoubtedly a few broken ribs of her own. She¡¯d still be able to fight, but it wouldn¡¯t feel pleasant. He then turned his attention to his own wounds, placing the wraps tightly around his chest to hopefully hold his rib in place while he fought.


    Satisfied that Shryke was safe, he turned back toward the gate¨Cprepared to train some more¨Conly to find the guards casually walking back, a score of Fogmen dead behind them.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Frelka muttered under his breath. ¡°Well, waste not, want not.¡±


    He walked back out onto the battlefield, grabbing the iron sticks from each of the corpses. They served no good to sell as a weapon, but he might still be able to sell them for scrap metal at least.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    He continued his looting and made his way back to Shryke, who had found her footing again and was looking toward Frelka, dejected.


    ¡°What did I tell you?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯re stuck here. We wouldn¡¯t even had made it out of the gate if the guards hadn¡¯t been here.¡± Her shoulders slumped further. ¡°And I would¡¯ve likely been captured had you not rescued me.¡±


    ¡°Don''t lose hope, ja,¡± Frelka said, his infectious smile wide as the thrill of battle filled his veins. ¡°That vas just our first battle¨Cthere will be more to come. Come now, da day is still young!¡±


    The rest of their day continued like this: they¡¯d sit outside the main gate waiting for a raid, join the guards in the defense, get beaten to almost unconsciousness, heal up, and loot the battlefield for whatever goods they¡¯d be able to sell.


    By the time the moons were beginning to rise, both Frelka and Shryke were bloodied and exhausted. ¡°Come, let¡¯s see how much we can get for these at da weapon shop before they close, ja!¡± he said and turned to hobble back into town.


    ~~


    As they sat in one of the bars counting their Cats, Frelka couldn¡¯t keep from frowning. He knew they wouldn¡¯t get much for the looted weapons, but they had barely made enough to cover their food and bed for the night. At this rate, they¡¯d never be able to buy a house. Frelka looked down at his weapon and scowled. Hells, he thought, we¡¯ll never be able to even afford to buy me some good armor or a decent weapon.


    Despite it being what he had woken up with, Frelka wasn¡¯t used to using a one-handed blunt weapon like the iron stick. He much preferred a large, two-handed greatsword. Something he could swing in a wide arc. Something that matched his size. As it was, he felt his current weapon served him little better than his fists.


    He let out a long sigh and Shryke said, ¡°I assume you¡¯re probably starting to see what I meant when I told you leaving here was hopeless?¡±


    ¡°We fought all day und barely made enough to last us for a single day,¡± he responded, too tired for his usual boisterous demeanor. ¡°Training und getting stronger is great, but if von of us suffers an injury that puts us out for longer than a few hours, how are we supposed to eat?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she replied, ¡°that¡¯s just because we got unlucky. If we can get a Fog Prince to be part of the attack, we could sell its head for six thousand Cats!¡±


    Frelka¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Six thousand?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Frelka smiled at her, ¡°So much for ¡®no hope,¡¯ huh? Wasn¡¯t it you who vas just telling me there vas nothing we could do, und now you¡¯re da von encouraging me? What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    Shryke let out a small smile, ¡°I just can¡¯t stand to see such an ox of a man look sad. Besides, I was just giving you information, I never said we were going to find one. Fog Princes rarely attack the gate. We¡¯d likely have to lure one in if we wanted to get one. And that would require venturing into the fog, which, as I stated before, would last all of about ten seconds before we were both knocked out and eaten for dinner.¡±


    Frelka took a big swig of his grog and slammed the tankard down on the table in front of him. He looked around the adobe building. The main area as you entered the bar was littered with misaligned rectangular tables and stools with rugs scattered underneath them. A group of sitting pillows lined the front wall to the left of the door where various patrons sat comfortably and drank while they complained about the day. Stairs at the back of the bar across from the door led to the roof where makeshift tarp awnings that covered the beds the bar had for rent. To the right of the door was the bar itself, which ran two-thirds the length of the room. Behind, the barkeep tended to his customers. Foods of various types sat out open on the shelves. Meatwraps, rice bowls, dried meat, meatcubes, the entire menu could be found on display behind the bar. Barrels housed the bar¡¯s grog. On either corner stood two guards, ensuring the patrons didn¡¯t get too rowdy. The bar had a variety of patrons¨CGreenlanders like himself, Scorchlanders like Shryke, Hive, and Shek¨Call desperately drinking their worries away. Terrified of the fog that surrounded them. Hopeless for their lives to improve past what it currently was or in their ability to escape the surrounding fog. Their misery draped over the establishment like a wet cloth clinging to a body. As he was getting ready to respond to Shryke¡¯s comment, a Hive walked towards their table and said, ¡°Beep!¡±


    Frelka saw most Hive as twiggy, but if they were twiggy, this one was made of straw! He looked like he could barely hold up his frame on the thin sticks that the Hive called legs in the first place, but Frelka could sense a burning determination in the solid, beady black eyes that stared at him. ¡°Uhh¡­Hi Beep¡­¡± he responded hesitantly.


    The creature looked shocked, pulling its head back and widening its gaze at Frelka. ¡°¡­How¡­how do you know my name?¡± it asked warily.


    ¡°Well,¡± Frelka said, ¡°You just said ¡®beep¡¯ for no reason, ja? So I thought that maybe you vere introducing yourself.¡±


    It paused again, bringing both hands to its mouth in alarm before saying in a slightly muffled voice, ¡°¡­You must be some kind of genius then?¡±


    ¡°Ja, Frelka is uber smart!¡± he proclaimed loudly to the creature called Beep. In all honesty, it was just a guess, but Frelka enjoyed being called a genius¡­he liked this Beep.


    Beep¡¯s look of astonishment solidified into one of seriousness. ¡°Can I join you? I saw you and your companion fighting today. I want to become strong. I want to become a swordsman.¡±


    Frelka looked Beep¡¯s frame over again and reflected on their battles from the day before reluctantly saying, ¡°You don¡¯t look very strong, Beep.¡± He looked at his hip and to his back. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a weapon! Do you have skills perhaps?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing. Beep¡­¡± he paused, ¡°sorry, I beep when I¡¯m nervous. That¡¯s why I was exiled from the Hive.¡±


    ¡°Just because you keep saying ¡®beep¡¯?¡± Frelka asked, stunned at the severity of the Hive¡¯s response to Beep¡¯s peculiarity.


    Beep cast his eyes downward and slumped his shoulders as he said, ¡°I am defective. Not good for the Hive.¡± He took a deep breath and stood up as straight as he could, that same fire burning in his eyes again. ¡°But Beep doesn¡¯t give up! Beep is strong! Since I left the Hive, I can feel my mind changing. The way I think, I feel¡­free, having thoughts I never had before. I want freedom, but everywhere I go things try to kill or chase me. Beep tires of running. Time to stab the things that chase me!¡±


    Frelka was sold. He liked Beep even before his impassioned speech, but the odd creature¡¯s fire burned brighter than a bonfire on a clear, dark night. Frelka could sense Beep¡¯s resolve and knew he had what it would take. He just needed some guidance.


    ¡°Well,¡± Frelka said, pulling a nearby stool towards the table, ¡°V?lkommen to the team, Beep!¡±


    Beep grinned widely and quickly sat down on the nearby stool before saying, ¡°Beep is glad you will give him a chance to show his worth. Beep overheard you two talking about concerns for Cats. Beep may have an answer for that.¡±


    Shryke perked up, ¡°Is that so? And what exactly do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°Copper,¡± Beep replied matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Copper?¡± Frelka asked.


    Shryke scoffed. ¡°Sure, yeah, copper. Why didn¡¯t I think of that! Oh yeah, because it¡¯s in the damned fog! What exactly are you trying to pull Beep? You trying to get us captured by the Fogmen? Are you one of them?¡± She reached for her glaive.


    ¡°Beep!¡± Beep chirped before holding up its hands. ¡°No! No! Beep is not one of them. If Beep was one of them, Beep would be out in the fog or dead at the gates! Beep promises! Beep!¡±


    Shryke looked unconvinced, but Frelka held out his hand. ¡°Come now, Shryke, where¡¯s your sense of trust, ja? I say we hear Beep out. I don¡¯t haff any other ideas, und based on our conversation prior to this, neither do you. So what harm is there in listening, ja? Go ahead Beep.¡±


    Beep¡¯s eyes never left the danger latched on Shryke¡¯s back, but he slowly explained his idea to the group. ¡°As you may or may not know, there are iron nodes fairly close to the city gates. Iron is cheap and readily available, hence why you were unable to get much more than dried meat and grog with your day¡¯s spoils. But copper sells at a premium out here, and Beep just so happens to know of one that is close by that we could mine. All we¡¯d need are some backpacks to load up and we¡¯ll be able to haul enough copper to make a small fortune in Cats.¡±


    Frelka smiled. His hopes for a place to set up a base of operations began to creep back. ¡°I like your courage, Beep! If you think you can get us there undetected, then I say let¡¯s go for it!¡±


    He looked to Shryke, who rolled her eyes and shrugged before taking a long swig of her grog.


    Good enough, he thought and look back to Beep, who nodded. ¡°Beep does believe he can get the two of you and himself there undetected. We will have to stay quiet as we collect so as not to draw the attention of the hoard, but Beep is confident!¡±


    With that, the unlikely trio nodded and finished their food and drink before retiring to their rented beds upstairs.


    ~~


    The following four weeks was much more tedious than Frelka had expected. Beep was right in his knowledge of a nearby copper node and his ability to get them in and out undetected, but the work of mining and hauling for days on end had worn the three of them out.


    Every day they returned to the bar aching and sore, their backs and arms screaming in defiance from the abuse of the day. The whole first week, they had found it hard to even eat their dinner, let along work up the strength to consistently lift their tankards to their mouths.


    But Beep had been right. The copper sold for almost five times the amount he got for a scavenged weapon. They could now afford the better meals on the menu. They were more expensive, sure, but Frelka knew the extra calories and protein were worth every Cat.


    While their mining had gone largely unnoticed by the Fogmen, they had had a few scuffles with smaller patrols. It was after their first victory over one of these patrols that Beep reaffirmed Frelka¡¯s decision to let him join.


    They had just finished looting the corpses when Beep clenched his fists and screamed to the heavens, ¡°Yes! Beep wins! Beep is the strongest warrior! All Beep¡¯s enemies will be destroyed! Beep is the strongest now! There will be changes!¡±


    ¡°The fuck Beep?!¡± came Shryke¡¯s irritated response as his screams drew another passing patrol.


    ¡°¡­Beep!¡±


    They were fortunately able to dodge past that group and make it back to the safety of the city, but Beep¡¯s enthusiastic war monologues lessened significantly after that.


    They hit another lucky stride in their third week when, as they were mining, Shryke noticed a passing Fog Prince and his guards. Beep, being the fastest in the group, dropped his pack, and dashed out to draw the prince¡¯s attention.


    Frelka and Shryke held their breath when the Fog Prince ran faster than the Fogmen they were used to. Beep was clearly surprised too as they heard him beeping even after he had turned the corner toward the city gate. From there, he had been able to successfully lead them back to the city gates where the guards helped to dispatch them. Frelka wasn¡¯t sure why the guards allowed someone else to loot their kill, but by the time he and Shryke made it back to the gate, Beep was smiling wider than Frelka thought possible, his arms covered in blood, cradling the Fog Prince¡¯s head in his arms as though it were a large jewel, and a decent, though still rusted, katana on his hip, another spoil of his kill. Frelka and Shryke allowed him a war monologue that night, once they had made it back to the safety of the city.


    But, aside from the few skirmishes, that was essentially it. The rest of their month consisted of mining until they could barely carry the copper, hauling it back to town to sell, and repeating the process.


    As of today though, they had officially mined and sold enough copper to get Frelka a new, masterwork Samurai breastplate and a heavy, two-handed curved greatsword the shopkeeper called ¡°Falling Sun.¡± They had also made enough to set themselves up in a nice three-winged, one-story building, commonly called a Y-house.


    It had taken a few days to do, but they had filled it with the simple necessities: bedrolls, weapon and armor storage, and a research bench.


    Beep and Frelka sat around the indoor fire eating their meal as Shryke finished reading up on how to make basic weapons. It wouldn¡¯t likely be anytime soon, but if they could make good enough weapons, they may be able to sell them for even more Cats than raw iron. Maybe even enough to keep from having to trek out to the copper node, which had become increasingly depleted over the course of the month.


    Frelka looked up to the other two members of the team he had come to call ¡°Frelka¡¯s Fighters¡± and said, ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve done enough mining for now, ja. I say we start back with a little more training¨Cget Beep here up to speed on da warrior he¡¯s destined to be. Right, Beep?¡±


    ¡°Beep!¡± Beep replied.


    Frelka wasn¡¯t sure if that was a nervous ¡®beep¡¯ or a confident one, but he smiled all the same and laughed. Tomorrow their training would continue.


    As he laid in his bedroll, enjoying the warmth of the fire next to him, Frelka fantasized about his upcoming adventures. Soon, they¡¯d be able to start making their way through the Foglands. If he could rid the land of the Fog Princes, maybe he could stop the Fogman Scourge once and for all, freeing Mongrel from terror¡¯s grasp. Then, he, Shryke, and Beep would all have the chance to get out of Mongrel and really start their adventure!

 Chapter 2: Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fog

    <u>Chapter 2: Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fog</u>


    ¡°BEEEEEEEEEP!¡±


    Beep¡¯s screams echoed in Frelka¡¯s ears. The smell of blood was thick. Too thick. They had gone too far!


    ~~


    ¡°We¡¯re making good progress with our battles so far, ja,¡± Frelka said, finishing the last bite of his morning meatcube. ¡°We hardly haff to run back to da gate anymore. I think it may be time we consider pushing further into da fog.¡±


    The three of them sat in one of the local bars as they prepped for the day of battle ahead of them.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Beep responded instantly. ¡°Beep is ready to push further. No one will defeat Beep!¡±


    Frelka smiled at the eager Hive, his long, narrow face and close-set eyes shining with determination. He was always quick to agree to anything Frelka said without hesitation. Always eager to earn his title as a swordsman.


    Shryke, on the other hand, looked decidedly less enthusiastic. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered, her voice low as she stared intently at the last couple of bites of her meatcube before placing it down on the plate in front of her. ¡°I know we¡¯ve gotten better, but we still have to run to the gate for rescuing pretty frequently. I mean, yesterday alone we came back three separate times, and that¡¯s not counting the times we had to come back to rest and recover before heading back out. Why risk more right now?¡±


    Frelka nodded in acknowledgement of her words. ¡°That is true, ja, but we are still getting stronger. Und we haff bedrolls we can take with us if we need to rest out in da field. Und there are small hills throughout da fog that we can climb if we want to rest above it. Plenty of alcoves to hide in if we decide not to, ja.¡±


    Shryke persisted, ¡°Okay, sure, but stronger doesn¡¯t mean invincible. If we run into a group of them too far from the gate, things could go very poorly, very fast. And I don¡¯t know about you, but I like having all my limbs¡­and my life.¡± She turned to Beep. ¡°I mean, Beep, didn¡¯t you almost lose your hand the other day?¡±


    ¡°Beep does not remember this,¡± Beep said, feigning ignorance¡­poorly.


    Frelka spoke up. ¡°Look, I get your hesitation, but we are stronger, and we¡¯ve yet to see another Fog Prince since da von Beep spotted a few weeks ago, und da Cats we saved up from mining all that copper is starting to run low. If we¡¯re not careful, we¡¯ll be back out there, mining away. Und while Frelka is not opposed to using his large muscles,¡± he added with a flex, ¡°I would prefer to use dem against our enemies, not rocks.¡±


    Shryke looked up at Frelka. He knew she still struggled with the hopelessness of being stuck in Mongrel, but his larger-than-life demeanor always seemed to bring her around. Her eyes darted from Frelka, to his muscles, to Beep, to his scavenged katana, down to her hands on the table. After a few minutes, she shrugged her shoulders and said, ¡°Ah, what the hell? Why not? If Beep thinks he can survive, I should be fine. But if we end up running back to the gate again, you owe me drinks.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Frelka agreed.


    With that, she stood from the table and began walking toward the gate, the rest of her morning meatcube left lying on her plate.


    As they left the eastern gate, they began their descent down the usual hill where a sacrificial site had been set up no more than thirty yards from the gate. They had been slowly picking off bits of the Fogmen that hung around the area guarding those they captured and tied up on poles for the Fog Princes.


    Despite the work they had been doing, there always seemed to be more. More Fogmen, and more travelers. Every night, everyone in Mongrel still went to bed with the sounds of captured travelers being eaten alive.


    Frelka clenched his jaw as his anger surged. He swore he¡¯d give the people of Mongrel nights of silence.


    It was as he had this thought that they came upon the usual encampment, only to find it relatively empty. Five Fogmen hobbled around the camp, wounds from prior battles still not fully healed.


    Frelka held up his hand and stopped the group on the other side of a rock from the encampments clearing.


    ¡°Seems there are only five of them...und most are still injured, ja,¡± he said, looking at Beep and Shryke.


    ¡°Are you sure about this Frelka?¡± Shryke asked. ¡°They¡¯re still dangerous. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to lead them back closer to the gate just in case?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Frelka whispered enthusiastically. ¡°Five is nothing! Frelka could take out five on his own! They¡¯re just naked Hive with iron sticks for weapons. Their true danger lies in their numbers. This will be da perfect warm-up!¡±


    ¡°Beep,¡± Beep said confidently.


    Shryke shrugged in resignation and unsheathed her rusted glaive. ¡°If you say so. Okay, let¡¯s do this. I¡¯ll start on the right. Beep, you go to the left. Frelka, you good with taking the center as usual?¡±


    ¡°Frelka was made large for a reason, ja,¡± Frelka said as he smiled. He pulled Falling Sun from his back and prepped for the charge.


    He loved this part. The anxiety before a battle. The feel of his body as his blood was pumped faster to every muscle. It made him feel strong, stronger than he already knew he was.


    ¡°Ready¡­¡± he said quietly, ¡°Go!¡±


    On his signal, the three of them charged out from behind the rock and toward the Fogmen.


    Beep, who was already becoming much faster than the other two, reached his enemy first and began slashing at his target. The Fogman blocked his initial blows and retaliated, only to have Beep block its overhead swing with his blade. Holding it horizontally above his head, Beep knocked the Fogman¡¯s stick up and away, finishing the creature with a quick slash through its thin stomach. Calling them ¡°stomachs¡± was a bit of a stretch considering the Hive abdomen was little more than skin covering the spinal cord between chest and pelvis, but regardless, Beep slashed and managed to cut through it, leaving the Fogman in two pieces on the ground.


    ¡°Beep wins! Haaahahahabeephaha!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°Beep, what the fuck did I tell you about war cries while we¡¯re in the fog?!¡± Shryke sneered as she knocked the leg off her Fogman, leaving it to try and crawl away, leaving a blood trail they could follow after the battle.


    ¡°Beep,¡± he responded.


    Frelka, fending off the advances of three of the Fogmen, swung wide at the group, slashing the first two across the chest before being blocked by the third. Not enough to kill, but damage, nonetheless. Using the momentum of his swing, he tucked and rolled to get on the back side of the center Fogman, slashed down on the tender area where the neck met the shoulder, and kicked it away with his boot.


    The final two had just turned to face him when a blade and a glaive simultaneously stuck through the chest of each of them, Beep and Shryke using the distraction to finish them off.


    ¡°What did I tell you, Shryke?¡± Frelka boasted as she walked over to finish her first target. ¡°This battle was nothing more than a warm-up, ja! Come, tell Frelka, did you even get hit?¡±


    ¡°No, I did not,¡± Shryke admitted, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not right to worry. As you said, these are just five, and they were injured. What happens if we meet a group? Or what would we have done if a group descended upon us as we were fighting these five?¡±


    ¡°Beep kills them!¡± Beep shouted.


    ¡°No, Beep dies,¡± Shryke corrected. ¡°Or worse, is captured and eaten!¡±


    ¡°Beep,¡± he winced.


    ¡°¡®Beep¡¯ is right,¡± she continued. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to rain on anyone¡¯s parade or be a downer, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve lived here longer than any of you. I know the dangers that await us. I¡¯ve heard the stories. Seen faces walk into the fog that never walked back out.¡±


    Frelka placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. ¡°I understand, Shryke. Don''t worry, if we get overwhelmed, we can always make a run for da gate. This Frelka promises you.¡±


    Shryke sighed before reluctantly nodding her head, and they pressed forward.


    ~~


    The fog was dense. Mongrel was built on one of the hills that escaped the fog bank, so the encampment they had done their training in was barely ¡°in¡± the fog. As they pressed through now though, Frelka was reminded of his first day in the Foglands.


    No sky to speak of. Hardly any ground. If he hadn¡¯t been able to hear the light footsteps of Shryke and Beep, he could¡¯ve believed he was completely alone.


    They had been walking almost aimlessly this way for about an hour before Shryke said, ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re even going the right way? What if we¡¯re just walking in circles?¡± She paused, the implication of her last question sinking in. She gasped. ¡°Do you know how to get back to Mongrel from here? Oh gods, we¡¯re going to die in this hellhole!¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Frelka said. ¡°Frelka has very good sense of direction. I know exactly how to get back to Mongrel. If we ne¨C¡±


    The sound of screams cut him short.


    ¡°Oh gods! Why?! Someone, help!¡±


    The group quickly crouched down and crept towards the screams of pain. As they got closer, the light of torches began glowing through the fog.


    They were near another sacrificial area. They heard the squelching and ripping before they saw the silhouettes in the fog.


    ¡°Are they being eaten?!¡± Shryke hissed, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°The princes aren¡¯t supposed to come out until after sunset. What are they doing out right now?!¡±


    ¡°They are no Fog Princes,¡± Beep whispered, pointing toward one of the pikes.


    As Frelka focused, he could just barely make out forms in the fog gathered around a pole, their hands braced against the figure tied to it as their heads moved back and forth, tearing flesh from their victim.


    ¡°How can you tell?¡± Frelka asked. ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing.¡±


    ¡°Beep can explain later,¡± Beep said hurriedly. ¡°Now comes fighting.¡±


    Before Frelka could respond or stop him, Beep dashed out towards the Fogmen. Frelka and Shryke looked at each other before hesitantly running after him. By the time they had caught up, Beep had already killed two of the Fogmen before being noticed. He was now using his speed to his advantage, cutting the ropes of the prisoners tied to the poles.


    Frelka had no time to tend their wounds or assist, he quickly jumped into the group chasing Beep and started swinging wildly. There had to be at least thirty Fogmen in all¨Cenough to make up two roaming parties! What had Beep gotten them into?!


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Frelka could feel Shryke¡¯s fear as she dodged and jumped out of the way of tackling Fogmen, slashing downward to deflect or kill as they charged. They had each taken their fair share of blows before Frelka realized what it was Beep was doing.


    He was just getting ready to call the retreat when the prisoners Beep had been cutting down joined the fray. Seven of them quickly rushed into the fight¨Ctheir savagery only matched by their desperation and grief. They had all been stripped of weapons, so they tackled the nearest Fogmen and began slamming their heads and biting at their necks. Whether an ironic sense of justice or just the quickest way they had to kill them, Frelka wasn¡¯t sure, but once they had killed their first few, they grabbed the iron sticks from their captors and began beating back the horde.


    A few minutes later, the battle was over. Frelka was just about to sit down, his breaths ragged and fast, when one of the prisoners, a man dressed in orange robes with shaggy brown hair and a mustache that dipped all the way to the edge of his chin, approached him and said, ¡°Are you daft?! Don¡¯t sit down here! You¡¯re practically begging them to eat you at that point. We have to get as far away as possible, now!¡±


    Frelka nodded. ¡°You''re right. Can your men run?¡±


    The man looked around at the surviving prisoners. ¡°They¡¯re not ¡®my men,¡¯ but it looks like three of us might have difficulty keeping up. Might be best to just leave them and make our escape.¡±


    Frelka shook his head, ¡°No one gets left behind today, ja. I vill carry two of dem, Beep vill get de ozer. Come now, follow me!¡±


    ~~


    Back at the bar, the group sat, laughing for the first time in what seemed like too long.


    ¡°Beep,¡± Frelka said, ¡°in da fog, you knew da Fogmen weren''t Princes, but all I saw were silhouettes in da fog. How is that?¡±


    ¡°Because Beep is not Hive Prince,¡± Beep answered matter-of-factly. ¡°Beep is lowly Hive Worker Drone, as are the Fogmen. We all have thin and narrow heads, like this,¡± Beep gestured to his own head, outlining the edges with his hands. ¡°Hive Princes, on the other hand, have heads more similar to you humans: rounded with prominent posterior antenna.¡± He gestured to Shryke¡¯s head, mimicking an antenna coming from the back. ¡°Finally, there are Hive Soldier Drones. These Hive have wider heads, their eyes set further apart. Like someone took Beep¡¯s face by the eyes and pulled outward.¡± As he said this, he brought his hands back to his own head and pulled outward from the center.


    Frelka raised his eyebrows. ¡°I didn¡¯t know such a hierarchy existed in da Hive. How interesting. I¡¯ll keep this in mind.¡±


    Beep nodded and the man Frelka had spoken with in the fog, Stitch, raised his mug in the air and said, ¡°To Frelka, Shryke, and Beep. Without whom we¡¯d all be sitting in some Hive¡¯s stomach about now.¡±


    ¡°Here here,¡± came the applause from the other six survivors.


    Frelka lifted his tankard in appreciation as Stitch sat back down in front of the three.


    ¡°So,¡± Shryke said, making no attempt to disguise her disgust. ¡°You Holy Nation?¡±


    The man grimaced at the accusation. ¡°Well, yes ma¡¯am¡­and no ma¡¯am, we ain¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°Bout the opposite, actually. How¡¯d you know we was from the Holy Nation though?¡±


    Shryke pointed at the man¡¯s garments. ¡°Holy Nation scum are the only ones I ever see wearing those orange robes you¡¯ve got on. If I hadn¡¯t been so shaken in the fog, I likely would have run you through then and there.¡±


    Stitch held up his hands and gave a reassuring smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly glad you didn¡¯t. Truth be told, I¡¯m a Holy Nation Outlaw. Same as everyone else. We weren¡¯t all traveling together, but we¡¯re all on the same journey: escape the Holy Nation¡­that is, until we hit that damned fog.¡±


    Beep raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Beep remembers hearing ¡®Holy Nation¡¯ from his time in the Hive. Not good things. Mean people. But that is all Beep knows.¡±


    Shryke scoffed, ¡°Bout all you need to know Beep, especially for someone like you. Or for anyone other than someone who looks like Frelka or Stitch here. The Holy Nation are a bunch of egotistical zealots who think that their God was split into two beings: Okran, the God of light, life, and all that is good with the world, and Narko, demoness of darkness, the dark counterpart of Okran. It is her that tempts man to sin and debauchery, and her from whence all dark and evil things spawn, including Shek, Hive, women, the starving, the poor, and most of all, Skeletons.¡±


    Stitch nodded, ¡°Yup, she¡¯s bout got the right of it. But even someone like me ain¡¯t always safe, as my current predicament indicates.


    ¡°I was accused of being corrupted ¡®cause I allowed my wife to choose what she wanted me to buy her for gifts and food. I gave her freedom instead of dictating her life. For that, I was going to be sent to Rebirth. It was only by luck that she and I managed to make it out of Stack in time.¡±


    Noticing the question on Frelka¡¯s face he responded, ¡°She was captured and taken somewhere else. Likely dead by now,¡± he finished, tears welling in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to push it out of my mind, and in the fog, I was so focused on getting away from those things that I forgot. I can¡¯t believe it, I forgot my own wife.¡± He placed his face in his hands and began sobbing.


    Shryke reached out and placed her hand on the man¡¯s arm. ¡°Look, no one blames you for that. I think anyone would have been surprised if you had remembered her. You were listening to the crunching and squelching of flesh being torn from bone just a few feet from you, how could you have thought of anything else?¡±


    Her reassuring words seemed to deepen the man¡¯s depression as his sobs became more intense and he let his head fall to the table, his body now racked with sobs. Beep looked over at Shryke and said, ¡°Perhaps describing what likely happened to his wife was not the best form of comfort?¡±


    Shryke blanched and Frelka grabbed the man at the shoulder and shook him gently, ¡°Tell me Stitch, do you know where they took your wife?¡±


    The man¡¯s sobs slowly subsided as he lifted his head, snot and tears soaked equally into his mustache, his eyes swollen and red from the intensity of his grief. ¡°N-No-Not exactly. I know they were further north than we were, but I couldn¡¯t say how much further or if they even stayed that way. That¡¯s just the last I saw of her.¡± He paused as choked gasps caught up to him. ¡°What. Does. It. Mat. Ter. Now? She¡¯s. She¡¯s¡­¡±


    His head slumped back to the table and the man continued to sob.


    Frelka looked to the other two, nodded, and looked back to the man. ¡°Stitch, we may not be able to save your wife, but we will avenge her! Tomorrow we will return to where we found you und head north in search of da camp they are holding her. If, by miracle, she is alive, we will bring her back to you. If not, we will rain down vengeance on dem, ja.¡±


    The man made no move or response, but Frelka noticed a slight decrease in the intensity of the man¡¯s sobs. With that, the three excused themselves and retired for the night.


    As Frelka laid in bed, listening to the nightly screams of the poor souls taken by the fog, he prayed that Stitch¡¯s wife was not one of them.


    ~~


    ¡°There,¡± Frelka said as they approached the glowing torches in the fog, ¡°this has to be it!¡±


    It had been almost thirty minutes since they had left the area they found Stitch in, but it was the first encampment they had come across, and it was roughly north.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear any screaming,¡± Shryke said. ¡°Could go either way. Let¡¯s move in. Carefully!¡±


    They crouched down and slowly crept their way into the encampment. Blood-stained remnants and bones littered the ground all around them. If Stitch¡¯s wife had been eaten, there would certainly be no way of telling.


    Once they had gotten into the center of the encampment, Frelka stood up. ¡°It seems this place is empty, ja.¡± He glanced up at the remaining light shining throughout the fog. ¡°Und it¡¯s getting dark. We should probably start heading back now. We will have to give Stitch da bad news.¡±


    As they turned to start making their way back, Frelka heard a grunt from behind followed by a scream. As he turned, he saw Shryke on the ground, with a wide-headed Hive on top of her.


    ¡°Beep! Fog Heavy,¡± Beep squeaked. ¡°Very tough. Very stupid. We should grab Shryke and run!¡±


    Frelka shook his head, ¡°We will kill this one at least. I told Stitch we would avenge his wife, und that is what we will do.¡±


    He charged in and tackled the Fog Heavy off Shryke. The Heavy rolled off and back up to its feet, hissing at Frelka as it lashed out with its club. As opposed to the Fogmen, who were equipped with simple iron sticks, the Heavy seemed to have a rudimentary club. A symbol of its status perhaps?


    It lunged and Frelka held his sword up to block, but the creature went low and smashed into the side of Frelka¡¯s leg, shattering the bone. Frelka fell and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt fear. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t alone. Beep and Shryke quickly took up arms on either side of him. Despite their numbers advantage, the Heavy put up a tough fight. ¡°Stupid and tough¡± though it was, it was smart enough to know that hitting an enemy¡¯s legs made it harder for them to run. It continuously lashed out at Beep¡¯s and Shryke¡¯s legs, attempting to cripple them as it had Frelka.


    After a few minutes of traded blows, the Heavy¡¯s club fell to the ground. It hissed at the two enemies in front of it, both of its arms dangling impudently on either side, courtesy of Shryke¡¯s glaive, and made a dash into the fog.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get away! There will be retribution!¡± Beep screamed as he ran after the creature.


    ¡°Beep, wait, stop!¡± Shryke shouted before running after him. She shot a quick, concerned look at Frelka as she left.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Frelka said as he finished splinting his leg. ¡°Go after Beep! He is tvig and breaks easily.¡±


    With that, she disappeared into the fog.


    Frelka crawled to a nearby pole and tentatively stood up. Slowly, he tested how much weight he¡¯d be able to put on his leg. He wouldn¡¯t be running marathons, but he should be able to hobble back to Mongrel once Beep and Shryke returned.


    As he stood against the pole, praying that nothing saw him, he heard a sound in the distance.


    ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!¡±


    Beep came dashing out of the fog with Shryke fast on his heels.


    ¡°We have to get out of here. Now!¡± she screamed. ¡°The damned Heavy ran us into a roaming patrol!¡±


    Frelka frowned dread gripping his stomach. He steeled himself and said, ¡°I cannot run like this. You two go without me. I will crawl to da shadows und try to stay hidden.¡±


    Beep quickly turned on one of his twiggy legs and ran back to Frelka. ¡°Then Beep will carry you!¡±


    With an impressive burst of strength, Beep grabbed Frelka around the waist and lifted with every ounce of strength in him.


    Frelka thought he might have felt a slight upward force as Beep gave up and said, ¡°Then Beep will fight!¡± He drew his sword and stood in front of Frelka, facing the fog in the direction they had come from.


    Before either of them could object, the horde was upon them. Fifteen Fogmen poured out from in front of them, swarming the three.


    Frelka braced his back to the post and drew Falling Sun. He tried to swing, but the weight of the blade dragged against his injured stance. He staggered, his balance giving way. Before he could react, he hit the ground hard.


    Then he felt nothing.


    ~~


    ¡°BEEEEEEEEEP!¡±


    Beep¡¯s screams echoed in Frelka¡¯s ears. The smell of blood was thick. Too thick. They had gone too far!


    Frelka jerked his head up and desperately looked around the encampment. To his left he saw Shryke tied to a pole, her face frozen with fear. As he followed her gaze, he saw why: a swarm of eight Fog Heavies were spaced around one of the poles. They were on their knees, bowing repeatedly toward the pole. As Frelka looked, he saw a Fog Prince feasting on one of the captives tied to the pole. Feasting on Beep!


    Despair struck through Frelka¡¯s stomach as he watched the Fog Prince slowly biting and ripping the tough keratin that made up Beep¡¯s left leg. Only the prince feasted as the Heavies around him all continued their ritualistic worship of their leader. Frelka looked around for something¨Canything¨Cthat would help them out of this situation. He found nothing.


    He looked back to Shryke, tears streaming down her face, but otherwise frozen in place, she was too in shock to even think, let alone fight or run.


    Gods, Frelka thought, is this really the end? Will I be the first Frelka in my entire family to fail his journey? Will I bring about the end of our bloodline?


    The despair had all but consumed him when he heard a rustling to his right. As he looked up, expecting to see another Fog Prince coming to begin his meal or a roaming hoard heading towards him, he felt a sudden sense of hope. Stitch and the other six they had freed were silently stalking towards the group of Fog Heavies. Stitch placed his finger to his lips, telling Frelka to keep quiet before they pressed on.


    In the fervor of the creatures¡¯ worship, they failed to hear the group that was creeping up behind them. In one swift movement, seven daggers struck from behind and tore at the flesh of the necks of each Heavy worshipping around the prince.


    His dinner interrupted, the Fog Prince turned to face the group. Three of the outlaws jumped on the remaining Heavy before it had a chance to rise, but the Fog Prince was able to draw its blade and counter the oncoming attacks from the other four.


    If the Fog Heavies were ¡°very tough¡± and ¡°very stupid,¡± the Fog Prince was a tactical and martial genius. There was certainly a high form of intelligence to its savagery. It slashed and dodged past multiple daggers as the entire party swung and stabbed at him. Just as one blade was headed directly for its heart, it jumped backward, its entire body spinning in the air. As it landed, it used the momentum of its spinning to push itself back to its feet before slicing through one of the rescuers.


    One blade caught the side of its leg. Then another. The prince fell to its knees, but it didn¡¯t give up. It grabbed one of the outlaw¡¯s blades with its hand, pulled him toward it¨Cblood streaking down its arm¨Cand bit hard into the man¡¯s neck, sending blood spraying outward.


    Then a blade struck at it from behind and the Fog Prince fell to its side: dead.


    ¡°Good thing we came lookin¡¯ for ya,¡± Stitch said as he strode over to Frelka. ¡°Any later and Beep here may have lost more¡¯n just a leg!¡±


    Frelka opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly found it hard to focus. His head became heavy. As his vision dimmed, he saw the other survivors tending Beep¡¯s wound and cutting him and Shryke down from their poles. They had been saved!

 Chapter 3: The Price of Strength

    <u>Chapter 3 ¨C The Price of Strength</u>


    Muffled voices were speaking around him. The cool, damp air blowing on his face. It was daytime, but he could tell through his eyelids he was shaded.


    Frelka slowly opened his eyes to find himself staring at the tarp above the beds on the roof of one of the bars in Mongrel.


    His leg was throbbing. Then he remembered it. The fighting. The capture. The eating. The eating! Beep!


    Frelka bolted up. Instantly he felt a pair of hands pushing gently against his chest. ¡°Hey, hey, hey,¡± Stitch said. ¡°Calm down big fella. You¡¯re good. You¡¯re safe. Me and the boys got you three outta there just in the nick o¡¯ time.¡±


    Frelka braced himself with his left hand while he cleaned the sleepy from his eyes with his right. He winced. The sudden jerking had sent a spasm through his broken leg. Slowly, he finished rubbing his eyes and opened them to look around. Beep was lying on the bed next to him, still asleep. Shryke sat on a stool between the two of them, watching over them diligently. She smiled when they locked eyes. ¡°Told you we shouldn¡¯t have pushed so far, you big ox.¡±


    Though she wore a smile, her eyes told a different story. Was it resentment? Frelka couldn¡¯t be sure, but he could tell in her forced smile and tone that her statement wasn¡¯t just an ¡°I told you so.¡±


    Frelka slumped his shoulder and mindlessly placed one hand on his broken leg, as if to stabilize it from any further accidental movements. ¡°Shryke, you...you were right. I''m so sorry. I vas overconfident. I vas thinking with my brawn und not my brain. Can you ever forgive me?¡±


    Shryke¡¯s fa?ade dropped, and she hung her head low, letting her shoulders slump. ¡°Hey now,¡± she mumbled, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be that serious about it. Just flex your muscles and say they got lucky or something, yeah? Besides,¡± she nodded in Beep¡¯s direction, ¡°I¡¯m not the one you have to worry about forgiveness from. Without a prosthetic, Beep¡¯s career as a swordsman is over.¡±


    Frelka looked back over to Beep. His entire left leg was gone! Shame, guilt, and regret swarmed inside him instantly. Beep had placed his faith in him, and he failed him. Failed them both. He didn¡¯t exactly ask to be their leader, and no one ever said he was¡­but they all knew it, Frelka included. And as the leader, this failure was on him.


    ¡°Und how much is a prosthetic?¡± he asked, looking between Stitch and Shryke.


    Stitch¡¯s eyebrows shot upward, and his mouth opened, one side of his cheek pulling upward as he shook his head back and forth and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. ¡°Not sure really. You¡¯d be killed for even possessing one where I¡¯m from. Okran forbid you wear the thing. You might as well hang a sign around your neck that says, ¡®I¡¯m soulless, kill me please¡¯¡­at least, to them.¡±


    Frelka looked back to Shryke. ¡°Well,¡± she said, wrapping her hand around the upper part of her mouth, her finger and thumb cupping either cheekbone, ¡°there is a mechanics shop here in Mongrel. Not sure what type of quality they¡¯ll have there, but you may get lucky and find a left leg for him.


    ¡°In terms of what they cost, well that just depends on what you want and in what condition. I¡¯d say a shoddy economy left leg might run you a few hundred Cats. You want something special, like one built for stealth or scouting, that could get up close to twenty thousand Cats.¡±


    Frelka felt like someone had punched him. Up to twenty thousand Cats?! The house they bought was huge and still only cost sixteen thousand.


    ¡°Well,¡± Frelka said slowly, ¡°what¡¯s done is done. Beep needs a new leg, und I won¡¯t stop until he gets von. I just need to¨C¡± He winced as he tried to move his leg. ¡°¨CJust need to get moving over to da copper mine again, ja?¡±


    Stitch and Shryke both placed their hands on his chest, encouraging him to sit back down.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Shryke said, ¡°you¡¯re still injured. At least give it a couple of days before you go running around on a fractured leg. You were only out for like half a day in the first place. Besides, I can walk just fine. If anyone is going mining for copper, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°But this is not your fault,¡± Frelka grunted, pain now surging through his leg. ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to do that for me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± she replied. ¡°We¡¯re a team. If the shoe were on the other foot, you¡¯d help me no problem, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course, but¨C¡± Frelka began.


    ¡°No buts,¡± Shryke interrupted. ¡°You focus on getting better. When you can actually walk around on that thing again, then maybe you can come help with the mining. Until then,¡± she gestured towards Beep, ¡°I need you to stay and watch over Beep.¡±


    He hated to admit it, but she was right. Even he had his limitations, and running around on a broken leg would only make things worse. ¡°But I don¡¯t even know how long it would take before I¡¯m ready to walk again. That Heavy shattered my leg,¡± he said.


    Shryke gave a reassuring smile and patted Frelka on the shoulder as she stood, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you seem to heal pretty quickly from your wounds. Besides, when we were setting it, it didn¡¯t feel like it had been shattered. It might have felt like it at the time, but it may just be a fracture.¡±


    With that, she turned and walked off. ¡°Anyway, I guess I¡¯m off to start mining. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take some of those outlaws with me. Figure I can pay ¡®em for the protection so long as they promise not to abuse our spot.¡±


    ~~


    It had been a week since Frelka woke up, but already he was able to get up and hobble around, albeit with a crutch. Still, Shryke had been right, the injury wasn¡¯t as severe as he had feared, and he seemed to be healing quickly.


    Unfortunately, Beep had yet to wake up. Shryke continued to assure Frelka that it was just the shock of losing a limb and that he¡¯d wake up any day now, but with each passing day, Frelka became more and more concerned that he would go to sleep and wake up without a friend.


    It was during one of these episodes of fixation that he heard a grunting.


    ¡°Uh. Uh. Beep. Ow. Beep,¡± Beep muttered as he began moving slowly, his eyes still closed.


    ¡°Beep,¡± Frelka said, quickly crossing the rooftop back to his friend¡¯s bedside. ¡°Hey buddy, stay calm. You¡¯re okay, but we had some very bad luck the other night, ja? I need you to stay calm und tell me what you remember.¡±


    Beep slowly opened his eyes and looked at Frelka. ¡°Beep¡­remembers¡­¡± His voice was strained and dry. Frelka quickly poured him a mug of water from a nearby pitcher and slowly propped his head up against his arm and poured the fluid down Beep¡¯s throat.


    Beep drank deeply, choking slightly at the beginning as his eagerness got the better of him. After he finished, Frelka helped him sit up.


    Once he was set properly in bed, Beep looked at Frelka, then around the rooftop, then down.


    ¡°Beep!¡± he squeaked. ¡°B-B-B-Beep¡¯s leg is m-m-m-missing!¡±


    Frelka¡¯s heart ached as Beep was reminded of the traumatic events that had been his present mere seconds ago. He placed his hand on Beep¡¯s shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze and shake. ¡°Hey, hey, listen. Ja, you are missing your leg. Und I am so sorry for this. But Frelka promises you, you will walk again. We will make sure you get a new leg.¡±


    Beep¡¯s panicked beeps slowly subsided as he listened to Frelka¡¯s reassurances. Finally, there was silence. They sat like this for a few minutes before Beep said, ¡°It¡¯s Beep¡¯s fault. If Beep had not chased after the Fog Heavy as he did, we all could have gone home. We would not have been caught, and Beep would still have his leg. If Beep had been stronger, maybe I could have killed them before they captured us. Beep is sorry.¡±


    Beep hung his head low as his hands reached out to massage around the stump that remained of his left leg. ¡°Now Beep isn¡¯t just a defective Hive¡­Beep is a defective fighter as well. Good for nothing Beep¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not defective, Beep,¡± Frelka said reassuringly. ¡°You were injured, but we can fix it, ja! We can get you a new leg!¡±


    ¡°Beep has seen these legs. Peglegs. Rusting scraps of metal. Nothing worthy of a warrior. Only worthy of trash¡­Just like Beep¡­¡± Beep¡¯s despair deepened as he watched his imagined future dissolve in front of him. His eyes never leaving his stump.


    Frelka was at a loss for words. Having grown up in a small home in the Skimsands, he had seen few prosthetics, and the ones he had seen matched Beep¡¯s description. He wished he had listened more to what Shryke had said, but all he could remember is how expensive she said they could be.


    As Frelka sank deeper in thought and helplessly grasping for a way to help, Beep sank deeper in his despair. Before long, they both sat in silence, staring into nothing as their minds raced and spiraled.


    ~~


    ¡°Beep! You¡¯re awake¡­What are you two doing?¡± Shryke¡¯s sudden question jarred the two from their mental seclusion.


    Frelka looked around, the sun had already set, and the moons were rising in the night sky. Torch posts around the edges of the roof had been lit. It was the calm before the storm¨C¡°the silent hour¡± as the locals called it¨Cthe brief period of time after sunset before the screaming began.


    ¡°Beep is despairing,¡± Beep confessed as Shryke sat down and looked him over.


    ¡°Why?¡± Shryke asked, her tone a little more callous than Frelka preferred.


    ¡°Because Beep¡¯s life as a swordsman is over,¡± Beep answered. ¡°All that is left for Beep now is the sweet release of death.¡±


    Shryke looked to Frelka in disbelief, who, in his shame, hung his head. ¡°Is this what you think I meant by ¡®watch over Beep while I¡¯m gone¡¯? What exactly have you been telling him?¡±


    Frelka shrugged. ¡°Nothing. There is nothing for me to tell him.¡±


    ¡°You could tell him he¡¯s wrong,¡± she added, the sass in her voice thick and unmasked.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Frelka looked up to the woman standing over him. ¡°I know you said da prosthetics could help, ja, but Beep and I have only seen da cruddy vons that are no good for fighting with.¡±


    Shryke rolled her eyes, ¡°And? You think that means those are the only ones in existence?¡± She glanced over at Beep, her eyes wide with surprise and confusion. ¡°Given the Western Hive¡¯s propensity for mercantilism, I¡¯m shocked you¡¯ve never seen the higher quality limbs out there, Beep.¡±


    ¡°Beep has never looked,¡± Beep said.


    ¡°What?¡± Shryke asked.


    ¡°Beep has never looked at Hive shops. Beep was dysfunctional and banned from his Hive. Beep is not allowed to shop in Hive shops. Beep is ¡®Hiveless.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Shryke replied, her voice softer. ¡°Right. Sorry, Beep. I forgot about that part.


    ¡°Well, look, there are better options out there than just shoddy peglegs, okay? Now, I¡¯ve been working my butt off all week. I even hired the entire crew we rescued out there just so I could mine as much copper as possible. I¡¯m almost certain the node is dry now, but I swung by the Mechanics Shop earlier this morning, and I think we have enough to get a high-quality replacement for you, Beep!¡±


    Beep¡¯s head and shoulders perked up instantly. ¡°High-quality?¡± he asked. ¡°That sounds better. It sounds¡­powerful.¡±


    Shryke gave them both a smile. ¡°Yes, ¡®high-quality¡¯ is certainly better than some of the shoddy equipment you can find out there. So, why don¡¯t we go eat some dinner, get some rest, and tomorrow, we can all go get you a new leg!¡±


    Beep¡¯s depression had already all but evaporated as he said, ¡°Yes! This sounds perfect! Beep will rise again! His foes will fear the new Beep that comes stalking them in the night!¡±


    As he finished his cry to the fog, he attempted to stand, only to tip over to one side and fall to the ground.


    ¡°Ow,¡± he groaned, rubbing at his hip. ¡°Can someone help Beep stand up?¡±


    Frelka and Shryke looked at each other and laughed as Frelka scooped Beep with one arm and helped him down to the tables below.


    ~~


    ¡°That one,¡± Beep squeaked excitedly as he pointed at one of the legs the Skeleton that ran the Mechanics Shop had laid out on the counter. As he went to hand it to him, Beep interjected, ¡°No, wait, that one.¡±


    The Skeleton glanced up at Beep, pointing to the leg to his left, silently asking Beep if this was the one he wanted. Beep nodded, but as the Skeleton put the first leg down and picked the second one up, Beep shouted again, ¡°No, wait. The first one was right!¡±


    The Skeleton dropped the leg on the counter and stood up straight, crossing its arms and staring expressionlessly at Beep.


    Frelka had heard of Skeletons before, but given the proximity of his home to the Holy Nation, he hadn¡¯t ever seen one. Completely mechanical with exposed pipes, bracings, and gears, the Skeleton in front of him could have stood against a wall of pipes and likely have blended in. Its face, as much as one could call it that, was an oblong metal casing with a large central lens in the center of its face. Though it had no need to, it wore simple cloth pants and a cloak, with a metal club strapped to its side.


    ¡°Beep,¡± Shryke said, ¡°I know you¡¯re excited, but you¡¯ve been doing this for the past ten minutes. How about we talk over your options one more time, make one final decision, and stick with it. We can afford any of the three here, so don¡¯t worry about the Cats, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Beep replied sheepishly. He looked back up at the Skeleton. ¡°Beep apologizes. Could you tell me one more time about each one?¡±


    The Skeleton continued to stare silently at Beep before slumping its shoulders and saying in its monotone voice, ¡°Fine. Just one more time.


    ¡°This first one,¡± he said, gesturing to a thick and heavy looking leg with a wide, reinforced foot, ¡°is part of the KLR Series. These limbs are not exactly made for athletic activities, but they are sturdy and strong. They¡¯ll be functioning even after you¡¯ve died.¡±


    He moved to the center limb, a thinner, less reinforced limb with a club-shaped foot that appeared to have some form of rubber padding on its bottom. ¡°This is part of our Stealth Series. As the name implies, this limb is ideal for when you wish to move while making as little noise as possible. You will still experience a slight difficulty with activities such as swimming, but your running and sneaking will be unaffected, possibly even better than before.¡±


    He gestured to the final limb on the counter. Even thinner than the other two, the ¡°thigh¡± of this leg was a singular cylinder with a long, curved blade-like extension braced at a high angle serving as a foot. ¡°This limb is part of our Scout Series. Again, as the name implies, this limb is designed for someone who values speed above all else. Thanks to its design, wearers will find it easy to push themselves forward at incredible speeds. While its flat-bladed design will hinder your swimming less than the other two, the lack of padding on it can hinder any covert operations you may wish to undergo. Also, it¡¯s durability is slightly less than the Stealth Series and much less than the KLR. Now, please choose which limb you would prefer.¡±


    With this, it resumed its cross-armed, silent stare at Beep. Looking at the counter, Frelka knew which limb he¡¯d go for. The KLR series was clearly the superior limb. Who would need to worry about running and sneaking with a leg that was tougher than you were?


    ¡°That one,¡± Beep said, pointing to the limb on the far left of the Skeleton. ¡°Beep was already fast before he lost his leg. Now, Beep will be the fastest warrior ever! Hahahahabeep.¡±


    The Skeleton shook its head and said, ¡°Nine-thousand seven hundred and sixty Cats.¡±


    Frelka felt an involuntary wince. That¡¯s half the cost of our house, he thought to himself as Shryke handed the Skeleton the Cats.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the Skeleton said. ¡°Please give me a moment to install the leg. I will show you how it is done in case you need to reattach or replace the limb at some point in the future.¡±


    With this, the Skeleton stepped out from behind the counter and gestured to Beep. ¡°Please lay on the Skeleton Bed over here.¡± He led the three over to what Frelka had thought was some kind of torture device from the First Civilization when he first walked in. ¡°This is what is called a Skeleton Bed. It can perform most repairs and replacements of robotic limbs. However,¡± he said as he laid Beep down and began aligning different knobs, levers, and straps, ¡°you still need to know how to properly adjust the machine, and how to ensure it is set to the proper setting. Otherwise, you could find yourself in worse condition than when you started.¡±


    The Skeleton spent the next several minutes showing Frelka, Shryke, and Beep the different settings and positions they¡¯d need to set for operating on Beep¡¯s left leg.


    Once he had finished his lecturing, he said, ¡°This part only happens once, but it will hurt.¡± With no further warning, the Skeleton smacked a button, and a flap folded down next to Beep¡¯s stump and a panel rotated out from the hole, slamming a metal plate with numerous latches and screw holes into Beep¡¯s stump. Beep screamed out in pain as the machine screwed the plate into place, followed by a series of panicked ¡°beeps¡± that slowly subsided over the ensuing minutes.


    ¡°Apologies, Hiver,¡± the Skeleton said, monotonously. ¡°In my experience, this part is best done quickly and with no warning to the buyer.¡±


    Frelka and Shryke, who had been too stunned to respond said, ¡°That didn¡¯t seem better!¡±


    The Skeleton looked back to the two and said, ¡°It didn¡¯t seem better to you. When I used to explain what was coming, I found that most participants either forwent the procedure altogether¨Ccosting me Cats¨Cor reported lingering pain long after the procedure was completed. Now that it is done, however,¡± he continued, grunting as he set the leg in place and pushed it tightly against Beep¡¯s plate and activating the Skeleton Bed, ¡°now that it¡¯s in place, we can attach his limb, and he can walk out of here on his own.¡±


    It took about twenty minutes for the machine to completely attach and run a diagnostics check on Beep¡¯s new leg, but by the end, Beep was tentatively standing on two legs again.


    ¡°You will be able to make small repairs on your own, but over time, there will be damage that can only be fixed by a Skeleton Bed. All Mechanics Shops will have one. Some individuals learn to make one, though this requires knowledge from Old World ruins. Regardless, you will need to find one of these beds once you see the damage beginning to pile up.¡± It nodded at the three of them and added, ¡°Thank you for your patronage. Goodbye.¡±


    It walked back behind the counter and stood there, silently.


    ¡°Well Beep,¡± Frelka began, ¡°how do you feel, ja?¡±


    Beep, whose eyes had not left his new leg, was now shifting his weight back and forth from one leg to the next. After a moment, he looked up at Frelka. ¡°Beep is Skeleton now!¡±


    ¡°Beep,¡± Shryke interjected, ¡°you¡¯re not a¨C¡±


    ¡°Beep no longer needs to eat!¡± he declared triumphantly.


    ¡°Beep, you most certainly need to¨C¡± Shryke tried again.


    ¡°So long, Skeleton brethren,¡± Beep said, waving to the Skeleton as he walked out of the shop.


    The Skeleton stared at the strange Hiver without saying another word.


    Frelka and Shryke followed Beep out onto the street where his smile had grown even larger. If Hive could strut, Beep was certainly doing it. His small chest was pushed out to the point that Frelka was worried he¡¯d tip over with one wrong move, while his shoulders and arms were puffed outward as far as he could manage.


    ¡°Watch out Fogmen,¡± Beep continued, proudly delivering his speech to the air. ¡°Beep is coming for you! Beep will run you down and stab you before you even know he is there! Beep will not only be the best swordsman alive, but the fastest as well!¡±


    As he finished his speech, he took off running. Before Shryke or Frelka could call out to him, Beep was gone.


    ¡°Should ve go after him?¡± Frelka asked, concerned with Beep¡¯s eager declaration.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Shryke said, waving her hand in the direction he had disappeared in. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to be running toward the gate¡­Besides, if he did get in trouble, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d hear him beeping. Come on, let¡¯s stop by Taz¡¯s. With your bum leg and Beep needing to get accustomed to his new one, I¡¯m seeing a lot of free time in my future. I figured we could stop by and see what types of books they had for sale. Maybe we could learn a thing or two that could come in handy in the future.¡±


    ¡°Like how to make beds, ja?¡± Frelka asked eagerly. ¡°Or grog? Or rum?¡±


    ¡°Sure, yeah,¡± Shryke mumbled. ¡°Or medicine. Or those skeleton beds. Maybe we could even figure out how to make a wind generator or how to build houses¡­¡±


    Frelka looked at the Scrochlander in front of him. ¡°What good would that do?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she said, refusing to meet his gaze, ¡°it¡¯s just that there are a lot of crappy places out there. And not a lot of good ones. But, if we knew how to build one of those places¡­well, maybe there could be another good place that people could eventually call home¡­¡±


    Frelka smiled. ¡°Shryke, do you want to build a town?¡±


    Shryke shrugged. ¡°No! Maybe. I don¡¯t know. It was just a thought. And I figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to read up on the stuff while I had the opportunity, y¡¯know? Anyway,¡± she said, returning to her usual composure, ¡°look, can we just go to the store?¡±


    Frelka smiled and said, ¡°Ja, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ~~


    Night had settled, and the screams had begun by the time Beep walked into the room.


    Frelka, who had picked up a book on basic brewing, looked up and greeted him. ¡°Beep! There you are! We were worried about you, ja! Where haff you been?¡±


    Shryke, who had set down one of the numerous books she had purchased, walked over and sat down on her bedroll around the fire as Beep slowly approached them. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Beep,¡± he began slowly. ¡°Beep was thinking¡­Beep needs to leave for a little while.¡±


    The two exchanged worried looks before looking back at Beep.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Frelka asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Beep, why would you leave?¡± Shryke continued. ¡°I mean, hells, where would you go?¡±


    Beep took a deep breath before standing up as straight as he could, pushing his chest back out and loudly declaring, ¡°That¡­is a secret. Beep must leave now, but Beep will return, mightier than ever!¡±


    Frelka felt a twinge of guilt in his chest. Was Beep leaving because of his leg? He said he¡¯d be back, but would he really? He really liked Beep. His upbeat attitude always helped to make him smile, and his courageous will inspired him to fight even harder. He looked back to Shryke, his own thoughts reflected on her face before saying, ¡°Beep, are you sure about this? We won¡¯t stop you, ja, but if you¡¯re upset with us because of your leg or think of yourself as defective in some form still, please just let us know so we can talk about it.¡±


    Beep laughed heartily before saying, ¡°Beep is not upset. Beep is grateful! Beep is newer! Beep is better! Beep must leave to make himself even better!¡±


    That same fiery determination that Frelka had seen the first night they met was emanating from Beep again. He laughed loudly, flexing his own muscles before saying, ¡°Ja, that sounds good then! You go und get stronger like Frelka und ve will be here when you return!¡±


    Shryke nodded her agreement and Beep smiled at the two of them before grabbing a meatcube and walking out the door.

 Chapter 4: No Way Out

    <u>Chapter 4: No Way Out</u>


    Frelka groaned as he threw his book to the side. ¡°I am so tired of all this sitting around und waiting! I want to go fight! Frelka is made for action, not inaction!¡±


    It had been two weeks since Beep left, and in that time, neither Frelka nor Shryke had seen even a glimpse of the small Hive. They often theorized about what it was Beep was doing, but their discussions always ended the same: they hoped Beep was still alive!


    ¡°What, you tired of reading that brewing manual again?¡± Shryke asked, her tone mocking. ¡°Why don¡¯t you read one of the multitudes of other books we got? We¡¯ve got books on building furniture, assembling appliances and workstations, crafting just about any materials you can think of. We even have a bunch of cookbooks you could read. Or why not actually test that knowledge you¡¯ve gained on brewing and actually try and make something?¡±


    Frelka threw up his hands in frustration. ¡°I did, ja. I tried to make some simple grog. I even made da distillery und da barrels to store the grog in, but it takes too much wheatstraw! By da time I finished making my first batch, I was barely making any Cats! Und that¡¯s with grog selling at a premium out here. If I¡¯m going to do any brewing, it¡¯ll have to be after we secure a small farm of some kind.¡±


    Shryke laughed and held up her hands in submission. ¡°Okay, okay, that¡¯s fair. Well, why don¡¯t you go whack that dummy on the roof some? I made all of those training stations; it¡¯d be a real shame for them to just sit there going unused.¡±


    ¡°Frelka ¡®vhacks¡¯ on da dummy every day. Und da other ¡®stations¡¯ are not to my liking¡­¡± he trailed off at the end. Even if he had no interest in the other training stations she had set up, he still felt guilty about not utilizing her hard work.


    ¡°¡®Not to your liking¡¯?¡± Shryke asked, looking back up from her book and placing it down on the desk in front of her.


    ¡°Ja,¡± Frelka admitted. ¡°Frelka is no sneak thief. I do not care about sneaking, stealing, or killing someone quietly from behind. This is not da way Frelka does things.¡±


    ¡°But you will practice your lockpicking?¡± Shryke asked, accusingly.


    ¡°Ja, Frelka vill practice his lockpicking,¡± Frelka defended. ¡°Lockpicking und escape practice are not just for doing sneaky things, they are also for getting us out of legitimate situations: like escaping Fogman captivity.¡±


    ¡°And sneaking up and killing a Fogman from behind before he can alert the other fourteen Fogmen he¡¯s travelling with isn¡¯t a ¡®sneaky thing,¡¯ it¡¯s survival,¡± Shryke retorted. Picking up her book and shaking her head she muttered, ¡°You men and your damned pride.¡±


    ¡°You call it ¡®pride,¡¯¡± Frelka said, ¡°I call it ¡®honor.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well I can show you a lot of ¡®honorable¡¯ graves,¡± Shryke said, her eyes not leaving her book.


    Frelka felt a surge of anger. ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll just go and fight with the guards at the gate. That will be me doing something.¡±


    Shryke looked up from her desk, fire flashing in her eyes. ¡°You do that and you¡¯re dead! You know as well as I do that you¡¯re useless in a fight right now. But you know what, sure! Go ahead and go get yourself killed. Just don¡¯t expect me to get myself killed right alongside you!¡±


    ¡°Well, may¨C¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the bar and spend some time with Stitch and the others?¡± Shryke interrupted. ¡°Might do you some good to get out of the house instead of sulking here and bothering me with pointless shit.¡±


    Frelka bristled. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go und see what Stitch has been doing. Perhaps he will have some fighting for me to help with.¡±


    Shryke grunted and Frelka got up, still being careful with his healing leg, and left towards the bar.


    On his way to the bar, Frelka stopped by the weapons shop next door where he had bought Falling Sun. He needed to blow off some steam before he sat down with Stitch or he wouldn¡¯t enjoy his food at all, and looking at some weapons would do just that. As he walked in, Scratch, the Scorchlander who owned the place, perked up.


    ¡°Ahh, Frelka. How have you been my large friend?¡± he asked, spreading his arms as he came around the counter to embrace him. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been taking could care of Falling Sun. Are you already here to replace it? I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say I have anything of higher quality for you.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Frelka said, waving the suggestion away like a fly. ¡°No, I was just thinking about the Hive companion I had with me that day.¡±


    ¡°The one that beeped whenever he knocked over my collection of Nodachi blades?¡± Scratch asked with a reminiscent smile.


    ¡°Ja, that von,¡± Frelka responded, laughing at poor Beep¡¯s mishap. ¡°You see, he was recently injured und lost his leg. He is away at the moment, but I thought that maybe I could buy him a new weapon as a form of apology und v?lkommen for when he returns, ja?¡±


    Scratch gave Frelka a reassuring smile. ¡°I think that¡¯s a wonderful idea. What would you like to see?¡±


    Frelka had thought a little on his way over. ¡°What type of ranged weapons do you have? Maybe if I can keep him and his fragile body a bit further from da action, he will be better?¡±


    Scratch nodded and said, ¡°Well, the only ranged weapon I have is this here Springbat. Now, it fires heavy bolts, so the thing hits like a Shek.¡± He paused and looked apologetically at Frelka. ¡°The only problem is, this is a Masterwork crossbow. You don¡¯t get better than this when it comes to quality.¡±


    Frelka frowned. ¡°How much is it?¡±


    Scratch¡¯s apologetic smile turned to an apologetic face as he squinched his eyes and squeaked out, ¡°Thirteen thousand Cats?¡±


    Frelka¡¯s jaw dropped. Almost as much as their house! No matter how many times he saw prices like this, they still hit him in the gut like a punch he never saw coming.


    ¡°Thirteen thousand?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Scratch answered. ¡°But,¡± he added, perking up, ¡°this baby will last you for the rest of your adventurin¡¯ career. This is the type of weapon you pass on to your great, great grandchildren. This is the type of weapon that they write tales about. You give this to your friend, and so long as he gets the reload time down, he shouldn¡¯t have to worry about fighting anyone ever again, they¡¯ll die before they even make it to him.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°And hey, if you buy it, I¡¯ll throw in a dozen bundles of heavy bolts for you, on the house!¡±


    Frelka¡¯s initial hesitation was slowly transforming into reluctant desire. Masterwork was the best quality out there. And a crossbow would keep Beep out of harm¡¯s way. And if they could save Beep from losing more limbs, well not only would that be better for Beep, but it¡¯d actually be cheaper in the long run.


    ¡°Sold,¡± Frelka declared.


    ~~


    As he walked into the bar, his new, shiny crossbow wrapped neatly in his pack, he scanned the bar and easily found the group of orange-robed outlaws sitting at their usual table. He ordered his dinner at the bar before walking over and sitting down with Mongrel¡¯s newest citizens.


    Over the past couple of weeks, the group had lost another member, leaving the weary refugees down to a mere group of four. As he sat and greeted everyone at the table, a thought occurred to Frelka.


    ¡°Stitch,¡± he said, ¡°you said when we first met that you fled the Holy Nation to avoid Rebirth. But you didn¡¯t say where you were headed. Surely you did not to come here, ja?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Stitch began, a flicker of pain at the memory of his wife and old life briefly flashing across his face before the mask reemerged, ¡°truth be told, we weren¡¯t really sure. You¡¯re right in that we weren¡¯t planning on endin¡¯ up here, but Mongrel and the damned Fogmen are still better than being worked in the stone mines of Rebirth all day every day; kept on the verge of starvation until you just keel over and die under the watchful eye of Okran.¡±


    Frelka had heard some about Rebirth during his childhood, but the village his father had settled in was admittedly little more than just a Frelka¡¯s Tavern in the middle of nowhere; an oasis in the desert, not even worthy of being marked on a map. And it was closer to the United Cities side than the Holy Nation, so most of their customers were the Samurais of the United Cities as opposed to the Paladins and Holy Servants of the Holy Nation. Even still, he had heard of Rebirth: the slave labor mining pit where they sent prisoners¨Cmostly Shek, Hive, and ¡°corrupted¡± men¨Cto toil until they died to ¡°purify their soul¡± so that they may be reborn as human.


    Mongrel was a city surrounded on all sides by savage, human-eating Hivers, but Stitch was right, it was still better than Rebirth. At least inside Mongrel, everyone was free. Free to live, exist, and worship as they pleased.


    ¡°So, you were just heading North?¡± Frelka asked.


    ¡°Well, not exactly,¡± Stitch answered. ¡°Truth is, the missus and I was headed to The Hub. Only problem was that by the time we ended up at the gates, the entire city was destroyed save for a bar and a tower.¡±


    Frelka¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The Hub is gone? What happened?¡±


    Stitch nodded. ¡°¡®Fraid so. Not sure what happened. Maybe it got raided one too many times by the Shek. Maybe bandits sacked it now that there are no Paladins to defend it. Maybe everyone just gave up and ran away. Can¡¯t say for sure. In the end though, doesn¡¯t change the fact that the place is a ruin now. Sure, you could probably rebuild one of the destroyed homes, but without any form of guard to defend the city, you¡¯d just be paintin¡¯ a target on yer back. As it is, the place is little more than a brief stop on your way to somewhere else.¡±


    Stitch took a bite of his meatwrap and sipped some of his water. He let out a breath as he finished drinking. ¡°Anyway,¡± he continued with a stretch as he and Frelka got up and moved over to two of the sitting pillows that lined the wall, ¡°The Hub had been a place for those of us that still believe in Okran, but don¡¯t necessarily believe in what the Holy Nation has done with him to gather. Now that it was destroyed, Jenine and I chose to take our chances heading north to find the Flotsam Ninjas.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Frelka asked.


    Stitch shrugged. ¡°Not too sure. From what I¡¯ve heard, they¡¯re a bunch of servants of Narko who are hell bent on spreading darkness to every corner of the world¡­at least, according to our dear Holy Lord Phoenix, voice of Okran himself.


    ¡°Truth is, they¡¯re likely just a bunch of people like Jenine and I who got fed up with the way the Holy Nation does things. Unlike those that moved to The Border Zone and The Hub though, they¡¯re fighting back. Jenine and I just wanted peace, but we figured it was better than being kidnapped by bandits or trying to ¡®prove our worthiness¡¯ to the Shek. So, north we headed¡­into the damned fog¡­and to her death¡­¡± he paused before finishing, ¡°¡­and my own.¡±


    His voice was barely above a whisper, but Frelka heard and knew what he meant. Stitch had survived the fog, but he died there too. Any day he¡¯d had since his wife¡¯s passing was just that of a ghost trapped.


    Frelka placed his hand on Stitch¡¯s shoulder and shook him reassuringly. ¡°I wish there was something I could do for you.¡±


    His thoughts returned to that night in the fog. The blood-soaked bones and bits of clothes. The smell of decay and blood that filled the air. The way the ground squished just a little bit more around the poles than it did anywhere else.


    He thought of the attack and their failure¡­his failure to save his team or avenge Stitch¡¯s wife. He thought of how Stitch and his ragtag team saved them. How two of them paid the price for their survival. He thought of how it had been almost two months and the only Fog Prince they had eliminated from the area was the one Beep had led back to the gates.


    Frelka put his hands in his head and groaned. ¡°How are we ever going to eradicate the Fogmen if we can¡¯t even find their princes?¡±


    Stitch choked on his drink and began coughing. Frelka quickly began patting the man¡¯s back and as the coughing subsided, Stitch said, ¡°What¡¯d you say? ¡®Eradicate the Fogmen¡¯? Did I hear that right?¡±


    Frelka nodded. ¡°Ja, ve are going to kill these Fog Princes und end the Fogmen Scourge once and for all!¡±


    Stitch scoffed and then laughed. After a minute, his laughing died down and he said, ¡°Okran¡¯s nipples, you¡¯re serious!¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Frelka said.


    ¡°You,¡± Stitch stifled another laugh. ¡°You do know that¡¯s impossible, right? Like actually impossible. Those things spawn faster than we can kill ¡®em. Even without a Queen. Even if you take out a nest, another one pops up too fast. You¡¯d never be able to clear this fog with just the three of you. Hells, the best you could hope for is just containment, but even then, you¡¯d need outposts and fighters posted all throughout the Foglands. Even that likely wouldn¡¯t be enough, they¡¯d probably just be overwhelmed in the night and killed.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Frelka accidentally shouted. ¡°No,¡± he continued, his voice a little calmer, ¡°that can¡¯t be true. There has to be a way, ja? Ve just need more fighters!¡±


    Stitch gazed into his cup for a moment. ¡°Only hope you¡¯d have of actually wiping those evil insects off this moon would be if you orchestrated a Holy Crusade into the Foglands. But even the Holy Phoenix King himself isn¡¯t foolish enough to attempt that.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, looking up from his drink and around at the bar around him, ¡°we¡¯re stuck here. Always will be. The Fogman Scourge will continue long after everyone in Mongrel is dead and gone. This is their land, we¡¯re the ones living in it.¡±


    Frelka¡¯s heart sank. Impossible? he thought. That can¡¯t be. He wanted to give the people of Mongrel a night of silence. He wanted to give them nights of silence. He wanted to eradicate this terrible plague from Kenshi. He had been so sure that that was what his journey was supposed to be¡­or at least where it was supposed to start.


    He clenched his fists, but the words wouldn¡¯t come. He wanted to argue, to swear that he would prove Stitch wrong. But deep down, he felt it. The weight of the truth Stitch spoke. The futility of it all. The Foglands were endless, their horrors beyond counting.


    Suddenly, Frelka didn¡¯t have the energy for conversation. He said his goodbyes to Stitch and the crew and headed home.


    As he walked in, he noticed Stitch was already fast asleep next to the fire. He looked over to Beep¡¯s sleeping roll: still empty.


    ¡°Where are you Beep?¡± he muttered to himself. Frelka wasn¡¯t usually one to need cheering up, but he certainly could have used Beep¡¯s infectious optimism right about now.


    He moved over to his roll and lied down. As he closed his eyes to go to sleep, the distant screams reminded him that he would fail at the first task he set for himself on his journey to being worthy of his name. He turned over in his bedroll, pressing his hands against his ears, but the screams still reached him. Every night. Always. Mongrel would never be silent. And neither would his failure.

 Chapter 5: The Hives Defective Champion

    Chapter 5: The Hive¡¯s Defective Champion


    ¡°Beep is not upset,¡± Beep said confidently, pushing his mighty chest forward. ¡°Beep is grateful! Beep is newer! Beep is better! Beep must leave to make himself even better!¡±


    He watched as Frelka saw his confidence, was reencouraged, and said, ¡°Ja, that sounds good then! You go und get stronger like Frelka und ve will be here when you return!¡±


    Shryke nodded her agreement and Beep smiled at the two of them before grabbing a meatcube and walking out the door.


    He had made a mistake in the fog, but he would be better. He had to be. He took a bite of his meatcube as he walked past the armor shop near their home.


    But, he thought to himself as he walked through town towards the tower on the north side, that was the old Beep. The weak Beep. Now, I¡¯m better and stronger than ever!


    He finished his dinner right as he approached the Greenlander wrapped in black rags he had spoken with earlier in the day.


    The man eyed Beep for a moment, glancing to his prosthetic before looking back at him and nodding. ¡°So, you want in on the Shinobi, eh? The guards in other towns try to act like they¡¯re in control, but we all know who the real power is. Even when they abandon their posts, like the ones here in Mongrel did, the Shinobi Thieves remain. Here, we protect.¡±


    Beep looked at the boss and nodded his head. ¡°Beep wishes to join. Beep wishes to be the best swordsman, but Beep also wants to be the quietest! Frelka will make Beep strong, Beep¡¯s leg will make him fast, you will make Beep quiet.¡±


    The boss smiled at Beep and said, ¡°Sure, kid. I can do that. You think you got what it takes to be a Shinobi Thief?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Beep answered without hesitation.


    The boss shrugged. ¡°Then you know the cost, ten thousand Cats. And like I told you earlier, that¡¯ll get you access to us, all of our training equipment, and all of our spots in every city on Kenshi. No matter where you go, you¡¯ll always have friends.¡±


    Beep felt a swelling of pride and anxiety as he handed the bag of Cats to the man. It hadn¡¯t been easy. He had spent most of the day running and scavenging weapons from as far into the fog as he dared go. He had found a few clubs from fallen Heavies and a katana from the prince they had killed the other night.


    Unfortunately, even with all the risking of his life he did, he had barely scraped together a thousand Cats.


    In the end, it was only by the generosity and kindness of the Holy Nation outlaws that he had been able to afford the cost of admission. As Beep looked at the pouch, he was reminded of his interaction with them earlier that day.


    ~~


    ¡°Nine thousand¡¯s a bit steep, son,¡± Stitch said. ¡°And what exactly is this fer again?¡±


    ¡°Beep wishes to be a ninja!¡± Beep answered confidently. ¡°The boss at the tower says he can make Beep quiet, like a shadow on the wind.¡±


    ¡°¡®Shadow on the wind,¡¯ huh?¡± Stitch muttered. After a moment he sighed and said, ¡°Well, can¡¯t say I understand that, but I have heard of the Shinobi Thieves. Maybe not the savoriest bunch, but they ain¡¯t all that bad. Better¡¯n the Holy Nation, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    He looked over at the group he had come to lead. ¡°Give me a moment,¡± he said, turning back to face Beep. He stood and walked over to the group. Beep watched as Stitch and the group spoke in hushed whispers, Stitch gesturing towards Beep and then his Cat bag. Beep saw a few of them shake their heads adamantly.


    Stitch continued his discussion with the group, and slowly, the number of shaking heads decreased until they all reluctantly nodded. Stitch held out his bag, and Beep watched as each member reluctantly placed their Cats in the bag.


    Once they had all added to it, Stitch got up and walked back over to Beep.


    ¡°Now Beep,¡± he began. ¡°You gotta know this is a lot of Cats. But, you, Shryke, and Frelka are the reason we¡¯re alive in the first place, so I reckon it¡¯s the least we can do.¡±


    Stitch handed Beep his pouch, closing Beep¡¯s fingers around it and giving him a pat on the back of the hand. Beep¡¯s heart was heavy with guilt and shame, but he accepted it. ¡°Beep promises he will pay you back. I will train, be better, and earn enough to pay you back for this!¡±


    Stitch shook his head dismissively, ¡°Ahh, look, if you do, you do. If not, well, we¡¯re still alive, ain¡¯t we?¡±


    ~~


    The boss took the pouch from Beep¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Welcome brother, to the Shinobi Thieves.¡± He gestured to the door leading into the tower. ¡°Inside you¡¯ll find our fence. He¡¯ll buy damn near anything you got. He¡¯s also got some stuff you won¡¯t find anywhere else, so be sure to check him out. Second floor¡¯s got some beds in case you need a place to rest, third floor¡¯s where we keep all of our training stations, and the roof has the best view in Mongrel. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°When does Beep start his training?¡± Beep asked, unable to withhold his excitement any longer.


    The boss smiled at him and said, ¡°You can start whenever you like Beep. We¡¯ve got some people that usually hang out on the third floor. Just ask them about how to use our training stations and they¡¯ll be able to get you started.¡±


    Beep smiled widely and puffed out his chest again before walking inside the tower.


    The first floor was mostly a living area, a large, round table with a dozen stools scattered haphazardly around it. Boxes, crates, and barrels lined every free space on the wall, with a stove centered directly across from the door. A few of his new brothers were sitting at the table, laughing and playing cards.


    Beep approached the table and eagerly said, ¡°Hello brothers! Beep is new here, and very happy to meet you.¡±


    He held out his hand to shake, only to be met with confused looks and silent stares. Slowly, Beep lowered his hand. He chuckled nervously and dismissed himself, heading up the round staircase that lined the wall leading to the second floor.


    They¡¯re probably just busy, he thought to himself. Next time.


    The second floor, as the boss had said, was mostly beds and shelves where members kept some of their goods. Beep saw a few sleeping forms shift as he entered the room. Quietly, he tiptoed up to the third floor.


    As he stepped off onto the third floor, he found, with great satisfaction, that a few of his new brothers were standing around: some practicing at the stations, others taking breaks or watching the others practice.


    He walked to the closest Shinobi not using a station and said, ¡°Greetings brother! Beep would like to begin his training!¡±


    The man, similarly dressed in black robes, turned to him. It was another Western Hiver!


    ¡°New blood, huh?¡± he asked. ¡°Very well. Name¡¯s Trek. I¡¯ve got some time before I head to bed, what would you like to know?¡±


    Beep paused nervously. ¡°Beep! Beep doesn¡¯t know. Beep doesn¡¯t even know what these stations are or what they do.¡±


    Trek looked at him patiently and said, ¡°Well, what would you like to practice? We got things that can help with your thievery, your assassination, and your lockpicking. I can¡¯t show you them all tonight, but if you tell me which one interests you the most, I can get you started with that, and we can do more tomorrow.¡±


    Beep looked at each of the stations. He reflected on the battles he had had so far and the narrow escapes he and Frelka and Shryke had managed. After a moment, he decided.


    ¡°Beep wishes to start with the stealth!¡± he answered enthusiastically.


    Trek gave a chuckle and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s not really a station we have set up in here per se. That one we typically practice out in town at night. As I said though, I¡¯m about to turn in for the night, so how about I show you one of the stations, and tomorrow we can work on your stealth?¡±


    Beep nodded. ¡°Then, Beep wishes to subdue his enemies before they even know he is there!¡±


    ¡°Now that we can do,¡± Trek said. He walked over to a stuffed manikin, its back facing the nearby wall. ¡°So, this is Lincoln,¡± he said, patting the manikin on its chest. ¡°Lincoln here isn¡¯t your typical manikin that you see others whacking away on in the barracks. Lincoln¡¯s special. Right here,¡± he said, gesturing to a spot at the back of the manikin¡¯s neck, ¡°is a pressure plate. It¡¯s been designed and primed to only release when you strike with enough force in the right spot to incapacitate an actual person.¡±


    With this comment, he swiftly struck at the back of the neck.


    Click.


    Trek turned back to Beep. ¡°Understand?¡±


    Beep nodded.


    ¡°Do you want to try it first?¡± Trek asked.


    Beep nodded again and walked over to the manikin. He looked at the spot where Trek had struck and punched with all his might. He felt a sharp pain in his hand and quickly pulled back to inspect it. ¡°Beep!¡± There was no bleeding, but it was still throbbing.


    Trek laughed, ¡°Yeah, that figures. Sorry Beep, that¡¯s on me.¡± He moved over to inspect Beep¡¯s hand. After a moment he said, ¡°It looks okay. It might sting for a moment, but you¡¯ll be fine. Sorry again, I forgot you¡¯re truly new to all this.


    ¡°Now, pay attention,¡± he said as he moved back over to the manikin. ¡°There are actually three pressure plates set up on this manikin that you can practice on. The first,¡± he said, pointing to the base of the skull, ¡°is at the brainstem.¡± He made a swift strike toward the base of the manikin¡¯s skull.


    Click.


    Trek turned back to him. ¡°This is the most dangerous of the three spots for your enemy, given you can kill them if you jar the brain too much. It¡¯s also the most difficult as it requires the most amount of precision and force.


    ¡°The second,¡± he continued, moving his hand slightly down the back of the neck, ¡°is to disrupt the enemy¡¯s spine. Too light, and all you may do is cause a brief collapse, so make sure you¡¯re able to hit this properly before you try it on an enemy, or you may find yourself in quite a bit of trouble.


    ¡°The final spot,¡± he said, moving his hand to the side of the neck, ¡°is the carotid sinus. Hit this hard enough, and your enemy will go down. Not as effective as the other two, but also not as protected as them either.


    ¡°If I were you,¡± he gestured to the second spot, ¡°I¡¯d practice on this spot here. It¡¯s more reliable than the carotid sinus, and not as difficult as the brainstem. And if you can consistently get Lincoln here to click, you should be ready to try it on someone else. Now, the final thing.¡± He walked back over to Beep and grabbed his hand. ¡°You¡¯re not going to want to punch your enemy. Instead, you¡¯ll want to use what we call the ¡®Hammerfist strike.¡¯¡±


    Beep¡¯s eyes widened at the name. He smiled and stood straighter, puffing out his chest and saying, ¡°¡®Beep¡¯s Mighty Hammerfist¡¯¡­No! ¡®Beep the Hammerfist¡¯¡­No, ¡®Hammerfist Beep.¡¯¡±


    Trek laughed and said, ¡°If you get good enough, maybe. But listen, hold your hand like this.¡±


    He clenched his fist tightly, thumb on the outside, and then, using the bottom of his fist as the striking surface, drove it into the back of the manikin¡¯s neck.


    Click.


    ¡°This way is probably the best way for you to start. Once you get more proficient with your strikes, you can transition to the form I use, which we call the ¡®knife-hand strike.¡¯¡±


    Trek extended his fingers and pressed them tightly together, tucking his thumb in. Then, with a sharp, downward chopping motion, he struck the manikin using the edge of his hand.


    Click.


    Beep¡¯s head swam. ¡°So much!¡± he said.


    Trek placed a reassuring hand on Beep¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it seems that way at first, but once you start practicing, it¡¯ll become second nature in no time. Now, for now, just remember two things: strike here¡±¡ªhe gestured to the back of the manikin¡¯s neck¡ª¡°with a hammerfist strike.¡±


    He mimicked the hammerfist position again and brought his fist down on the back of the manikin¡¯s neck.


    Click.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Beep said enthusiastically. ¡°Beep will do this! Beep will start now!¡±


    Trek laughed. ¡°Start whenever you like, Beep. Now, if you really want a challenge, try doing the entire motion from a sneaking position. After all, it¡¯s not like your enemy is going to just let you walk up to them and hit them in the back of the head.¡±


    With that, Trek crouched low, moving silently behind the manikin. After a few careful steps, he rose smoothly, struck the spine, and dropped back into a crouch.


    Click.


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    He turned to Beep. ¡°Any questions?¡±


    Beep reviewed everything Trek had just shown him. After a moment, he shook his head. ¡°Nope. Beep understands. Thank you! Beep will remember this when he is best swordsman on Kenshi!¡±


    Trek chuckled again. ¡°You¡¯re an odd one, Beep. Anyone ever told you that?¡±


    Beep felt a tightening in his chest. In an instant, Trek¡¯s laugh took him back. Suddenly, he was a young Hive being laughed at for his beeping. He felt the rejection and sneering mockery of his brothers. He looked back to Trek and frowned. He felt a deflation in his stance as he hung his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Trek¡¯s laughing cut short, and he looked to Beep. ¡°Hey. Beep. What¡¯s with the sudden change?¡±


    Beep shook his head. ¡°Beep knows he is defective. It¡¯s why Beep is Hiveless.¡±


    Trek¡¯s brow turned upward as he smiled at the small Hiver. ¡°Listen Beep, we¡¯re all Hiveless out here. Trust me, it doesn¡¯t make you ¡®less than.¡¯ In fact, it makes you greater. Greater than the mindless drones who simply obey every command handed down by the Queen. Because that¡¯s all we are: drones. They never even bothered to hide it from us. They called us worker drones or soldier drones.¡± He shook his head. ¡°But not out here. Here, you are Beep. You are not defective. You are you. Be proud of your oddity my friend, it¡¯s what makes you different from anyone else.¡±


    Beep felt a bittersweet sting in his eyes. ¡°Beep has never heard such kind words before. Thank you, brother.¡±


    Trek through up his hands in a shrug. ¡°Hey, what are brothers for, right?¡± He stretched, groaning with the effort. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all I¡¯ve got for the night. You¡¯ve got the basics down for this station. Meet here tomorrow night and I¡¯ll show you the route we take to practice our silent stalking through the shadows.¡± He gave Beep another reassuring smile. ¡°Give me the time and I¡¯ll have the being the deadliest shadow in the Foglands in no time, Beep.¡±


    He gave one last smile to Beep and turned to head back down to the second floor. After he had disappeared beneath the floor, Beep turned back to the room. In the time it had taken Trek to show Beep the basics, the room had emptied. He was left standing in the room, alone and with no company aside from his own thoughts.


    ¡°¡®Deadliest shadow in the Foglands,¡¯¡± he whispered to himself.


    He clutched his fist into the hammerfist Trek had shown him and turned back to the manikin. He crouched down low. Because of his leg, his approach wasn¡¯t quite as silent as Trek¡¯s, but he slowly crept up behind the manikin. Once he was within range, he stood quickly and swung down at the manikin, clubbing at the back of the neck.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Beep said.


    He looked back to the manikin. He had heard no clicking sound. He felt around the manikin where the pressure plate should be. He could feel its form under the cloth. He had hit the right spot. He pushed on the plate, testing to make sure it still clicked. Nothing. He pushed harder. Still nothing. Beep pushed with all his might; he didn¡¯t feel the plate move at all.


    Beep¡¯s eyes widened as he said, ¡°Trek is a mighty assassin indeed!¡±


    Beep steeled himself and rubbed his hand once more before beginning the process of crouching, sneaking, standing, striking, and crouching back down again. He never heard a click, but he never lost hope. He would get this. He would be the best out there. No one would chase Beep ever again!


    ~~


    ¡°Alright,¡± Trek said, standing with his arms folded across his chest, ¡°let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Beep gave a determined nod and showed Trek his progress over the past day. He had practiced his form and strike through the entire previous night and all throughout the day, resting for only a few hours when his body wouldn¡¯t allow him to keep going.


    Trek watched as Beep crouched, snuck up behind, and stuck at Lincoln. He heard the thump of Beep¡¯s strike, but no click.


    ¡°Beep has not been able to make him click,¡± Beep said, ¡°but Beep has gotten better. I can feel it move now!¡±


    Trek nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have Beep. Your form looks flawless. Keep it up and you¡¯ll get it in no time. Now, are you ready for your lesson in stealth?¡±


    Beep nodded, a burning fire in his eyes. ¡°Yes. Beep is ready to become one with the shadows!¡±


    Trek laughed. He had known him for all of a day, but he liked Beep¡¯s enthusiasm. It was something that was rare in the Shinobi tower. Most ¡°brothers¡± were little more than common thieves that wanted some form of protection from the guards, but Beep brought a feeling of genuine comradery to the tower. And unlike most who joined, he seemed more interested in using his skills to be a better fighter, not a better thief.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Trek said, ¡°let¡¯s get started. Follow me.¡±


    Trek crouched down and led Beep down the staircase. ¡°Now, while you¡¯re training, the most important lesson when you¡¯re first starting out is to not care if you¡¯re seen. No guard is going to stop you just for sneaking around, and you¡¯d be surprised how many times you¡¯ll actually give yourself away to someone who just so happened to be looking in your direction instead of at you.¡±


    Beep nodded and followed Trek, doing his best to emulate his every move, down to stepping in all the same spots.


    They slowly crept down the tower. Despite Trek¡¯s advice, Beep found himself awkwardly smiling and nodding at his other brothers as he walked through the tower.


    It was after one of these awkward acknowledgements that Trek looked back, ¡°Bee-eep,¡± he said. ¡°Try to remember to not say anything. Practice not acknowledging anyone while you¡¯re sneaking. Silence of the mouth and head is just as important as silence of the feet.¡±


    ¡°Beep cannot be silent with his feet,¡± Beep said. ¡°He did not buy a sneaky replacement for his leg; he bought one for speed.¡±


    Trek nodded at him. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just because it¡¯s not made for sneaking doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t sneak with it. With enough practice, you¡¯ll learn how to accommodate for the extra noise your prosthesis makes as you sneak. Before long, you¡¯ll be as quiet as anyone else.¡±


    They continued their path around the city. Trek slowly led Beep out of the tower and into Mongrel. Their first lap was around the inner walls of Mongrel.


    ¡°This lap will be your easiest for not being seen,¡± Trek explained. ¡°Most guards don¡¯t even patrol the walls since the Fogmen exclusively attack at the gates.¡±


    The second lap still stuck closely to the walls but snaked through the outer buildings of Mongrel.


    ¡°This path is a little harder than the first. This way, you risk more passerby seeing you. Come, we¡¯ve got one more to go.¡±


    Their last lap zigzagged back and forth between the walls and into the center of Mongrel itself where the bars were all located.


    ¡°This path will be your true test. If you can make it through the crowd of people coming and going from the bars without being noticed, you¡¯ll be ready for the real deal.¡±


    They continued to trace these paths for the next several hours. Beep focused intensely on the task in front of him. He focused on the sound Trek made as he crept through each path. He listened to the sound he made, with his bladed foot scraping the ground with every step. He practiced ¡°seeing¡± the guards without acknowledging them.


    During one of their laps, Beep swore one of the guards they passed had looked straight at him, but as they stood frozen and he walked by, the man made no further acknowledgement of their presence.


    ¡°See,¡± Trek said, ¡°that guard didn¡¯t even see us crouched here in the corner. Most attention is drawn to movement. They see what they want to see. What they expect to see. Give them no reason to doubt this and you¡¯ll never be noticed.¡±


    Beep nodded and they continued their laps.


    As the first glimpses of light began to shine on the horizon, Trek and Beep stopped outside the tower. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for tonight. What do you think Beep?¡±


    Beep attempted to respond, but his leg burned. He had never realized how hard it was to stay crouched, and Trek never took a break¡­and Beep never asked for one. He felt his eyes grow heavy and his legs shake with effort.


    No response came from the small Hiver as Trek heard a small thump and turned to see Beep collapsed on the ground, completely unconscious. He laughed to himself, shaking his head. ¡°Was wondering how you had gone that long without passing out. Never seen someone last that long before. Almost made me call it quits. Thank the gods for the sun,¡± he finished as he scooped Beep under the shoulder and looked to the horizon. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you inside.¡±


    ~~


    A few days later, Beep stood in front of the two remaining stations that Trek had yet to review with him.


    ¡°Alright, Beep,¡± Trek said. ¡°These are the last two things. You ready?¡±


    Beep nodded.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Trek replied. ¡°So, these last two stations are pretty easy to use. This first one,¡± he said, crouching down next to a chest with a dozen different keyholes in it, ¡°is our lockpicking chest.


    ¡°Each keyhole contains a lock with an increasing level of complexity. The goal is to work your way up through each level until you unlock them all.


    ¡°If you get stuck and want to start over,¡± he said, moving to the side of the chest, ¡°just roll this mechanism up until it stops.


    ¡°Once you are able to get all of the locks, your next goal will be decreasing the amount of time it takes you to unlock them all. Each tower has a little local leaderboard we like to use for bragging rights.¡±


    He gestured to the board leaned against the wall behind the chest. A dozen different names and times were listed on the board. Beep looked and found Trek¡¯s name. He was fifth on the list.


    ¡°The last station,¡± Trek said, walking over to a large stack of boxes, tarps, and assorted items, ¡°is for practicing your thievery.¡± He picked up a bell off the shelf and it tingled loudly. ¡°Each item on this structure is placed with its own level of difficulty for swiping. Some, like this cup,¡± he said, casually picking up a nearby cup, ¡°are easy. Others,¡± he continued, holding up the bell, ¡°are a little harder to swipe without making a sound. Some items are heavy and placed up high, others have material underneath them that may make noise if not handled appropriately. The goal is to acclimate you with a variety of scenarios you may come across for swiping goods. If you can learn to correctly analyze the object you¡¯re looking to swipe before you pick it up, you¡¯re more likely to succeed.


    ¡°Any questions?¡± he asked.


    ¡°How does Beep pick a lock?¡± Beep asked.


    ¡°Right,¡± Trek laughed to himself, ¡°I keep forgetting your innocence. Alright, watch closely¡­¡±


    ~~


    The screams had just begun when Beep walked into the tower.


    ¡°Hey Beep!¡± came the call from his brothers at the table.


    It had been almost a month since Beep first joined, and while they initially had been too busy to notice him, Beep¡¯s new brothers had since come around.


    ¡°Hello brothers,¡± Beep called out. He walked over and gave a pat to each of them.


    ¡°Whatchu workin¡¯ on tonight, eh Beep?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°Everything,¡± Beep said confidently. ¡°Beep wants to move every object and move up on the leaderboard tonight. Then Beep will practice on Lincoln before sneaking through the city.¡±


    ¡°And how is ol¡¯ Lincoln these days?¡± another brother asked. ¡°You managed to make him click yet?¡±


    Beep smiled. ¡°Not yet, but tonight is Beep¡¯s night. I can feel it,¡± he said, placing his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest.


    The group laughed, and so did Beep. A few weeks ago, his failures would have caused him to withdraw, and the laughter would have made him feel inadequate. But his time in the tower and with Trek had taught him to not only embrace his failures, but his uniqueness as well.¡±


    The boss smiled as he walked up behind him. He clasped him on the shoulder and said, ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯ll get him tonight, Beep. Remember, the only difference between the master and the novice is that the master has failed more times than the novice has tried.¡±


    Beep nodded and headed up the stairs.


    As he had told his brothers, he started with the thievery station. Slowly, he went through each object, taking each one and placing them to the side. Once he had moved every object off and away from the shelf, he slowly moved every object back, silent as when he had taken them.


    Finished with his practice, he moved over to the lockpicking station. He had managed to move into the ninth place on the leaderboard. If he wanted to move up to eighth, he¡¯d have to cut an entire six seconds off his time. As he started, he could feel his heart fluttering and his throat tighten as the he willed his fingers to move faster. Faster. Faster.


    As the final lock clicked into place, Beep locked to the timer.


    ¡°Heck,¡± Beep said.


    He had been off by a single second! He felt a release in his chest and laughed to himself. So close! But tomorrow was another chance. He moved over to his final, most challenging task of the night: Lincoln.


    The manikin stood, arrogantly facing away from him.


    ¡°Lincoln thinks he¡¯s safe,¡± Beep whispered to himself, ¡°but Beep will show him otherwise!¡±


    He crouched, moved in closer, and struck out at the manikin, striking the same spot he always did.


    Click.


    Beep¡¯s heart raced and a sharp intake of breath made him feel lightheaded. ¡°Beep!¡±


    He had done it! He made it click! He quickly shook his hands and bounced back and forth on either leg, shaking off the excitement before squatting down again. Again, he moved up behind and struck out at the manikin.


    Click.


    Beep almost screamed. He couldn¡¯t believe it. He had done it. The first time wasn¡¯t a fluke! Beep, unable to contain his excitement ran downstairs to tell his brothers.


    ¡°Beep has done it!¡± he exclaimed before even reaching the end of the staircase. ¡°Beep has ended Lincoln¡¯s reign of terror!¡±


    The chatter of his brothers at the table died down as they looked to him.


    ¡°That right? Okay,¡± the boss said, slowly standing up from the table, ¡°prove it.¡±


    Beep smiled confidently and led the boss, Trek, and a few of his other brothers back up to the third floor.


    Standing in front of the manikin in front of everyone made Beep feel a spike of anxiety. He felt like his heart was going to knock him off his feet. But he took as deep a breath as he could manage and crouched down behind the manikin. Just as before, he crept up, silently stood, and struck out.


    Click.


    A cheer erupted from the group behind him as they all swarmed to congratulate Beep.


    Beep smiled widely as he took in the moment. Even in the depths of hell, he had managed to find another Hive. One that appreciated him for who he was. One that celebrated him instead of ostracizing him.


    As he was shaken by his various brothers, Beep¡¯s mind drifted back to Frelka and Shryke. It had been almost a month since he had left them. As he thought of his first two friends, he realized this group wasn¡¯t the first of his new Hive that he had made. They had accepted Beep before Beep had even accepted himself.


    ¡°So,¡± Trek said, bringing Beep from his reminiscing, ¡°what now? You ready to go sneak around the city?¡±


    Beep gave a bittersweet smile to his brother. ¡°Not tonight. I¡¯m afraid it is time for Beep to return.¡± He paused, looking at each of his brothers. ¡°Beep is grateful to you all. Thank you all. And thank you, Trek,¡± he finished, looking at Trek. ¡°Beep will not forget you. And Beep will be sure to visit.¡±


    Trek smiled back and said, ¡°So, you¡¯re leaving, huh? Wait here,¡± he said, dashing down the stairs to the floor below.


    A moment later, he returned with a bundle in his arms.


    ¡°These are for you Beep,¡± he said. ¡°Congratulations!¡±


    Beep took the bundle from Trek. He smiled as he unfolded a set of black robes¨Cjust like the ones everyone else were wearing. He quickly put them on and moved to a nearby mirror.


    ¡°Beep is a shadow!¡± he said to himself. He heard a few laughs and he turned back to Trek. ¡°Thank you, Trek.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± Trek said, handing him a pack. ¡°This pack is specifically designed for those of us that wish to remain unseen. Unlike the other packs that are cumbersome and noisy, this pack is compact and will stay just as quiet as you do. I hope it serves you well.¡±


    Beep smiled as he took the pack from Trek and put it on. Compared to the pack he had carried the copper in, this felt almost nonexistent!


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Beep said excitedly. His smile faded. ¡°But¡­Beep didn¡¯t get you anything.¡±


    Trek waved his hands in the air, batting away Beep¡¯s lamentation. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to Beep. Good luck, brother.¡±


    He held out his hand for Beep to shake. Beep shook it and said his goodbyes to his brothers before leaving the tower.


    As he stepped out from the tower into the night, he looked down at his pouch of Cats. It had been slow, but he had carved out time each day to go and mine ore. Most of the copper he had found had been depleted, so he had had to venture further into the fog to find more. He didn¡¯t mind it though, it gave him a chance to practice his strength and his sneaking. Eventually, he had made enough. He looked at the pouch of eleven thousand Cats. He had promised Stitch he would repay him¨Cand he intended to do exactly that, plus interest.


    ~~


    Beep exited the bar where he had found Stitch and the other outlaws. He felt proud. The look in Stitch¡¯s and the rest of the groups¡¯ eyes when he handed the pouch over had made all of the danger he risked worth it.


    His final debt paid, Beep turned towards the house he, Frelka, and Shryke had bought. ¡°Time to go home.¡±

 Chapter 6: Escaping the Fog

    <u>Chapter 6: Escaping the Fog</u>


    ¡°Frelka, it¡¯s been a month.¡± Shryke didn¡¯t stop packing her books and personal effects into her pack as she spoke. ¡°At this point, we have to assume that Beep is either not returning or dead.¡±


    Frelka stood, hovering ineffectually around her. ¡°I hear you, ja, but we can¡¯t leave just yet. Let¡¯s just give him one more day.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying ¡®one more day¡¯ for the past seven days, Frelka! He¡¯s not coming¨C¡±


    Shryke¡¯s voice caught mid-sentence, and her eyes widened.


    ¡°Beep!¡±


    ¡°Beep!¡± came a squeak from the door.


    ¡°Beep?¡± Frelka asked, turning toward the door.


    At once, the argument dropped, and they rushed toward the thin figure wrapped in black robes.


    ¡°Beep!¡± Beep squeaked again as he was embraced by the two. ¡°Please,¡± he began breathlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t breathe!¡±


    ¡°Me¡­either¡­¡± came the breathless response from Shryke.


    Frelka opened his eyes and realized he was holding both of them two feet off the ground and squeezing them together. His smile turned into a boisterous laugh as he placed them back on the ground and shook each of their shoulders, leaving them clutching their chests and panting.


    ¡°Sorry, ja, sometimes Frelka forgets how mighty he is,¡± Frelka said between laughs, flexing to emphasize his point.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shryke said between gasps, ¡°we know¡­you big ox.¡±


    Frelka smiled wider at the term of endearment. ¡°I told you he was not dead.¡± He turned to Beep. ¡°That being said, where have you been, Beep? I must admit even I was losing hope that you would return to us. Und what¡¯s with the new robes? Where did you get them?¡±


    Beep smiled mysteriously. ¡°Beep has completed his training and now returns to his new Hive an even more fearsome fighter than he was before. You will find that Beep can now disappear into the shadows, striking unsuspecting fighters with perfect precision and silence!¡± He finished with a swift strike in the air with his fist.


    Frelka and Shryke stood, stunned by Beep¡¯s speech. Shryke was the first to recover, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, Beep. The big guy was awfully sulky without you around here.¡± She turned to Frelka. ¡°Now can we pack up?¡±


    ¡°Pack up?¡± Beep interjected.


    Frelka¡¯s expression dampened, and his eyes dropped. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, Beep. It turns out that our dream of ridding the Foglands of the Fogmen is nigh impossible. Shryke and I have been talking over the last couple of weeks und have decided it¡¯s time to leave Mongrel und make our way out of this sea of endless misery.¡±


    Beep stared blankly at Frelka. ¡°Of course the Fogmen are impossible to eradicate. Did you not know this?¡±


    Frelka heard a snort as Shryke failed to suppress her laughter. ¡°Told you.¡±


    Frelka stared at the Hiver, confused. ¡°But Beep, if you knew this, why did you never say anything?¡±


    Beep again stared blankly before replying matter-of-factly, ¡°Because Beep thought you knew.¡±


    Frelka heard another snort.


    ¡°But you never said anything about leaving or fighting an endless battle?¡± Frelka asked, still in disbelief that he was the only one under the delusion of clearing the Foglands.


    Beep shrugged. ¡°Why would I? Beep follows you, and you wanted to do it. Besides, we were helping the people that live here and becoming better fighters at the same time. We ate when we were hungry and drank when we were thirsty. Is there something more that Beep should have wanted?¡±


    Frelka felt a surge of humility flood through him. This whole time, all he could think about was earning his name, thinking only of what glory his actions could bring. Meanwhile, what was easily the weakest individual he had ever met was content simply knowing he was helping¨Ceven just one person. Content with life simply knowing his actions made him stronger and a better protector to those around him.


    He shook his head and smiled at Beep. ¡°Shryke is right¨Cwe missed having you around, Beep. I¡¯m always amazed at the lessons you teach me.¡±


    Beep¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Beep teaches you?¡±


    Frelka laughed again. ¡°Of course you do!¡± He turned to Shryke. ¡°Okay, now we can leave.¡± He glanced back at Beep. ¡°Assuming that¡¯s okay with you?¡±


    Beep smiled before puffing his chest out as far as he could. ¡°Mongrel will stay protected without us. Now it¡¯s time to spread our might to the rest of the world!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Frelka started, eyes widening, ¡°I almost forgot!¡± He moved over to the weapons chest in the corner to the right of the door. He pulled out a bundle and held it out to Beep. ¡°I got you something!¡±


    Frelka unwrapped the bundle, revealing the crossbow he had bought two weeks prior.


    Shryke¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s what was wrapped in that bundle?! Where did you find a Springbat? Err, rather, where did you find one in such good condition?! This looks¡­¡± her eyes narrowed at Frelka. ¡°How much?¡±


    Frelka looked innocently at Shryke. ¡°How much what?¡±


    ¡°How much did it cost for you to stress-buy this crossbow?¡±


    ¡°I did not stress-buy this,¡± he defended weakly. ¡°This will be good for Beep.¡± He looked back to Beep. ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s nice, ja?¡± He held the crossbow out.


    Beep looked reverently at the Masterwork piece in front of him. After a moment of study, he pushed the crossbow back toward Frelka. ¡°It is nice,¡± he conceded, ¡°but Beep is a warrior! And Beep only uses the weapons he scavenges from the corpses of his fallen foes!¡±


    Frelka¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°But¡­you can still be a mighty warrior with this! Und just because you didn¡¯t scavenge it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t use it. I use Falling Sun, und I did not scavenge it from someone.¡±


    ¡°This is true, but that is Frelka¡¯s way. That is not the way of Beep.¡±


    Frelka stood, stunned and speechless. ¡°Bu¡­but¡­¡± he stuttered breathlessly as he slowly took two steps back and sat down. ¡°Thirteen thousand Cats¡­¡±


    ¡°Thirteen thousand Cats!¡± Shryke shrieked. ¡°You spent thirteen thousand Cats on that?! That¡¯s it, from now on I¡¯m carrying at least half of our Cats!¡± She marched over to Frelka and swiped the crossbow from his hands. ¡°And give me that! If Beep doesn¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll use it.¡± She turned to place her new weapon near her gear against the wall, muttering under her breath, ¡°Thirteen thousand Cats my ass. Now I¡¯ve got to learn how to use a damned crossbow because you didn¡¯t know what to do with your guilt and because you¡¯re too proud to use a bought weapon. Men.¡±


    She turned back to Frelka, raising her voice back to normal. ¡°I assume this came with ammo? Please don¡¯t tell me you spent all that money and didn¡¯t even get any ammo for the thing?¡±


    Frelka, finally recovering now that his purchase hadn¡¯t been for naught, took a deep breath. ¡°Ja, of course Frelka got ammo. Frelka is a master negotiator, after all.¡± He pointed at the other chest to the left of the door. ¡°It¡¯s in that chest. Scratch included five bundles of heavy bolts with the purchase.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah, master negotiator.¡± She moved to the chest, placed one bundle of bolts near the crossbow, and stashed the others in her pack. ¡°Great, now that that¡¯s settled, I¡¯m going to start packing up the rest of my stuff.¡±


    With that, they all slowly began packing up their home.


    For the rest of the night, Frelka and Shryke peppered Beep with questions about his month away. Beep gave some details about his training, but most of his answers remained cryptic, never stating where he had trained or even who had trained him. This didn¡¯t seem to bother Shryke as much as it did Frelka, but eventually, they finished packing, ate dinner, and laid down to sleep.


    Tomorrow they would leave this fog for good.


    ~~


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to sell the place?¡± Shryke asked as they closed the door to their home.


    ¡°Why would we sell it?¡± Frelka asked, staring at the sign on the door.


    Shryke shrugged. ¡°Because we could use the Cats to buy a new place wherever we¡¯re going? Because why would we ever come back here? Because why would random strangers actually take care of the place and not trash it?¡±


    Like Frelka, she stared at the sign he had hung on the door:


    To any weary traveler too poor to afford a bed, please feel free to make use of our home. Just be sure to leave it as you found it for the next traveler.


    Frelka smiled proudly at his sign. ¡°That we¡¯ll never know. But if we can¡¯t free Mongrel of the Fogman Scourge, the least we can do is provide a place of refuge for anyone who finds themselves in a situation like I did. Besides, it¡¯s not like the house is going to be left completely to strangers. Right, Beep?¡±


    Beep smiled and nodded his head enthusiastically.


    Shryke rolled her eyes. ¡°You two and your charity are going to be the death of me.¡±


    Frelka smiled and patted Shryke on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯ll be the death of your pessimism, dear Shryke. Now, let¡¯s go find Stitch.¡±


    They walked into the bar where Stitch and his crew typically ate breakfast. As Frelka entered and looked around, he saw them¨CStitch and the other Holy Nation outlaws¨Call seated around a large table, eating.


    Stitch looked up and waved the group over. ¡°Ahh, Frelka, Shryke, Beep. Come, sit and join us for breakfast!¡±


    The three moved toward them as the group made room.


    Frelka waved his hand. ¡°Sorry, friends, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve already eaten. Today, we come to say goodbye. The time for us to leave is now.¡± He looked at Stitch. ¡°Are you sure you und your crew don¡¯t want to join us?¡±


    Stitch shook his head. ¡°We¡¯d never survive the journey out, I¡¯m afraid. Besides, we¡¯ve come to find contentment in not having the shadow of the Holy Nation looming over our backs all the time.¡±


    Frelka smiled and said, ¡°Well then, we have a parting gift.¡± He handed Stitch a key.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°The key to our house.¡±


    Stitch rubbed the back of his neck, gaze dropping as he offered an apologetic glance to Frelka, his eyes soft and his brow drawn slightly together. ¡°I appreciate the offer, Frelka, but we can¡¯t afford to buy it from you, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand,¡± Beep interjected. ¡°We are leaving the house open to those in need, and we want to also offer it as a home to you all as well.¡±


    The rest of the table stopped eating all at once and stared. Stitch¡¯s apologetic look dissolved, and a smile began to form as wrinkles gathered at the edges of his eyes. ¡°What? Are you sure?¡±


    Frelka beamed, placing his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest. ¡°Of course! Who better to inherit our home than the ones responsible for our ability to have one in the first place?¡±


    The stunned silence turned into excited whispers and nudging as Stitch¡¯s smile grew. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what to say except thank you! This means more than you know, to all of us. We promise we won¡¯t let you down! We¡¯ll take care of your home and provide aid to any who need it!¡±


    The rest of the table nodded emphatically as Frelka handed the key over, and the groups said their goodbyes.


    Shryke didn¡¯t say anything during their visit aside from her goodbyes. She had stared quietly and judgingly at Frelka as he handed the key over to Stitch without a Cat in return, but as they walked out of the tavern into the morning air, Frelka couldn¡¯t help but notice a contented smile resting on Shryke¡¯s face.


    ~~


    ¡°Wait,¡± Frelka said, holding up his hand for the other two.


    They had been in the fog for a few hours by this point and had managed to avoid the larger groups of Fogmen. They had, of course, found a few smaller groups to skirmish with, giving Shryke the chance to practice with her new weapon, but overall, they had avoided large battles.


    The Springbat had proven its value quickly. Even with Frelka¡¯s strength, he had to admit that the Springbat¡¯s power was on a whole other level. Scratch hadn¡¯t been lying when he said the thing hit like a Shek. The new weapon had been able to take down Fogmen in two¨Csometimes even one¨Cproperly placed bolt.


    Then again, Frelka thought, rubbing his bandaged arm, we didn¡¯t exactly avoid getting hurt.


    He thought back to the third skirmish they¡¯d had. Shryke had decided that she felt comfortable enough to move further back from the group during the fight to pick off the Fogmen.


    Even though both Beep and Frelka had been careful to leave a clear opening between Shryke and her targets, they still found themselves dodging bolts as they zoomed past them in battle. At one point, Frelka had been more scared of dying from friendly fire than from Fogmen.


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    It was during one of these moments that he felt a slashing pain across the outside of his left arm. He looked down to see the flesh had been shorn by a passing bolt. At the same time, the last of the Fogmen fell.


    Frelka turned to Shryke, wincing. ¡°Ow! Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay closer to the action, Shryke? I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to die just yet!


    Shryke, who had been looking concerned, her hand over her mouth, now looked mockingly at him as she pulled out a bandage and began wrapping his wound. ¡°Aww, did the big ox get a scratch?¡±


    ¡°A scratch?! You look at my arm und tell me you¡¯d call that a scratch.¡±


    Shryke failed to suppress her smile. ¡°You big baby. Look, I still hit the guy, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You certainly did,¡± he said, rubbing his arm as she finished wrapping him up.


    Shryke rolled her eyes and turned to Beep. ¡°You doin¡¯ okay over there, Beep? Any injuries?¡±


    ¡°Nothing important.¡±


    Shryke looked back at Frelka, smiling mischievously. ¡°Well, Beep seems fine. Maybe you just need to get better at avoiding getting hit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it,¡± he muttered, playfully pushing her away as his good humor returned.


    Frelka turned his thoughts back from his wound to the reason he had stopped the group. While no one had ever taken the time to actually map the Foglands, they did know the general size of the area. Since they had decided they ultimately wanted to find the Flotsam Ninjas Stitch had mentioned to the north, they chose to head in that direction until they were out of the fog. And even though they had managed to avoid larger groups up to this point, it seemed the one in front of them was going to be one they had no choice but to face. It was another sacrificial site, and it covered the entire area they needed to cross if they wanted to eventually make it out of the Foglands.


    ¡°Looks like another sacrificial site,¡± Frelka commented. ¡°Not sure how many are there, but I don¡¯t hear screaming, ja? So at least there are no Heavies or Princes.¡±


    Beep walked toward the front, rolling his neck and stretching his arms. ¡°Well, it looks like it is Beep¡¯s turn to show you what his training has achieved.¡±


    Frelka and Shryke looked at him, the question clear between the two. Before they could ask, Beep put his finger to his lips, crouched down, and backed away into the fog.


    The two waited for any sign that Beep had been noticed. After a few minutes of silence, Frelka whispered, ¡°Well, I guess whatever he¡¯s doing, he¡¯s doing it well enough not to get caught.¡±


    Shryke scoffed. ¡°Or he was killed by someone he never saw coming.¡±


    Frelka scowled. ¡°¡­Or that.¡±


    Fear set into Frelka¡¯s heart. He hadn¡¯t thought of that possibility. Fogmen were typically noisy fighters, but it wasn¡¯t exactly outside the realm of possibility that Beep could¡¯ve been killed without making much noise. He began to feel his anxiety building in his chest. He felt a shaking inside, like someone had placed a small, whirring machine where his heart should be. He was on the verge of rushing in to find Beep and run back to Mongrel when he saw a lumpy form sneaking toward them from the fog.


    They both watched as Beep came creeping out of the fog, a Fogman slung over his back. He placed the creature on the ground, and the three of them watched as it lay limply where it had been placed.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Shryke asked. ¡°You trying to show us your kill?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Beep answered, appalled. ¡°Beep knocked him out. But, it would not be¨C¡±


    The form began to move, and Shryke stifled a shriek as she reflexively shot the Fogman in the head.


    ¡°¨Cwould not be honorable to kill him while he was unconscious is what Beep was going to say,¡± he finished hesitantly, eyes filled with disappointment.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Shryke hissed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be honorable?! Is it honorable for them to team up on us five-to-one and beat us senseless before eating us while tied to a pole?! What the shit, Beep, I thought I made this clear: honor is for the dead!¡±


    Beep looked dejectedly at the ground, his brows tilted upward.


    Frelka placed a hand on Beep¡¯s shoulder, and Beep looked up, eyes filled with hope at whatever Frelka was going to say.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Beep,¡± he began, and the hope disappeared from Beep¡¯s eyes, ¡°I have to agree with Shryke on this von. I understand what you are talking about, ja, but they would not hesitate to kill us in our sleep. Offering them a courtesy they¡¯ve proven themselves unworthy of is, sadly, not the best idea. Especially when we are far outnumbered and deep in their territory.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Shryke whispered. ¡°Did you actually listen to something I said?¡±


    Frelka rolled his eyes. ¡°I always listen. It just so happens that this time you made a good point. Certain types of honor are just pride, und certain types are just foolishness.¡±


    Beep looked up from the ground, a hard frown pressed into his rectangular face. ¡°Beep understands.¡±


    Frelka gave Beep¡¯s shoulder a squeeze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Beep, there will be plenty of opportunities for glorious combat. Now, that aside, this¡±¨Che gestured to the dead Fogman¨C¡°was amazing! Where did you learn to knock someone out so quietly?¡±


    Beep¡¯s smile returned, and he puffed his chest out proudly. ¡°Trade secret! Now, Beep saw about fifteen Fogmen. Fourteen now,¡± he added, looking at the bleeding Fogman at his feet. ¡°But Beep won¡¯t be able to get anyone else. The rest are all too clumped under the cliff overhang.¡±


    ¡°Cliff overhang?¡± Shryke asked.


    Beep nodded. ¡°The whole sacrificial site is under a large cliff overhang. I got lucky with the one, but the rest are all huddled near the cliff face. They would definitely notice me.¡±


    Frelka placed a hand to his chin. ¡°Even with our increased strength, fourteen is still a lot for us to take on. And it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll leave the area anytime soon.¡±


    Shryke chuckled and patted her crossbow. ¡°Maybe before we got Spite here.¡±


    ¡°Still can¡¯t believe you named your crossbow,¡± Frelka laughed. ¡°It¡¯s so unlike you.¡±


    ¡°What was that ¡®Falling Sun¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It came with that name,¡± Frelka muttered.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Now, with Spite here, I can run and reload at the same time. If you guys can keep the bulk of them busy long enough, I should be able to stay out of close range and kill them all. It¡¯ll certainly take longer than our usual battles, so you¡¯ll have to pace yourselves, but if you focus on just blocking their attacks instead of attacking, I bet we can do it.¡±


    Beep looked nervously between Shryke and Frelka¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Shryke pointed the crossbow at Beep. ¡°Maybe Beep Silencer would be a better name for her.¡±


    ¡°Beep!¡±


    Frelka held up his hands. ¡°Okay, Shryke, we get it. He raises a good point though, ja? Do you really feel that confident?¡±


    Shryke¡¯s eyes hardened with a confidence and determination Frelka hadn¡¯t known she was capable of. ¡°It¡¯s either that or we turn back to Mongrel. What do you think?¡±


    Frelka smiled. ¡°Well then, how can I say no, ja?¡±


    ¡°Good. Now,¡± she said, turning toward Beep, ¡°lead us to the side of the group that¡¯s thinnest. We¡¯ll start on that side. I¡¯ll take the first shot, and we¡¯ll back into the fog some. With luck, we can avoid a large-scale fight for a little bit. We¡¯ll repeat the process until they find us and charge. You two avoid engaging until battle is unavoidable, okay?¡±


    They both nodded.


    ¡°Good. Beep, lead the way.¡±


    Beep crouched and turned back toward the fog. They hadn¡¯t crept far before they saw the silhouettes of the remaining Fogmen forming in the fog. Shryke placed a hand on Beep¡¯s shoulder to stop him.


    She moved to a kneeling position, the shin of one leg flat on the ground, the foot of her other planted ahead. She rested her elbow on her knee and braced the crossbow against her shoulder.


    Frelka listened as her breathing slowed and became silent. Finally, with one final exhale, she squeezed the trigger, sending a bolt soaring through the air and into the head of the nearest Fogman.


    As she began reloading, she moved back to a crouch and ushered Beep to lead them away.


    This process repeated a couple more times. After the third kill, the group finally noticed them. Frelka and Beep took up their stances against the remaining eleven Fogmen. Despite being overwhelmed, Frelka couldn¡¯t help but keep glancing toward Beep and Shryke to make sure they were still alive.


    The Fogmen had split relatively evenly: Beep and Frelka were surrounded by four each, with Shryke drawing three in a wide circle¨Calways staying just outside of their reach.


    Frelka watched as Beep ducked and weaved, dancing around the feral swings of the Fogmen, shouting insults that made no sense. Frelka, meanwhile, stood firm, his stance wide and deliberate, intercepting blows with Falling Sun. Each deflection rang out in the fog. Neither pressed forward. They simply held the line, doing their best to buy Shryke the time she needed. The Fogmen hissed and circled, swinging and clawing at any openings, their lips snarling, eyes filled with hunger and hatred.


    From the mist, Frelka could hear the twang of Shryke¡¯s crossbow cutting through the chaos, each bolt slamming into flesh with a wet thud. The two held fast like this as the seconds passed into minutes. Frelka continued to listen to the twangs of Shryke¡¯s crossbow, an audible reminder that she was okay, while splitting his attention between deflection and watching Beep out of the corner of his eye.


    Eventually, one of Shryke¡¯s twangs was followed by one of the Fogmen in front of Frelka slumping to the ground. He looked over to see Shryke free of her pursuers. He smiled and shifted to offense.


    ¡°Not yet, you idiot!¡± he heard her shout. ¡°There¡¯s still like six or seven of these fuckers out here!¡±


    Frelka jumped mid-swing and took a bash to the shoulder. He shifted back to a defensive stance, but Shryke¡¯s shouting had drawn attention. Two disengaged from Beep, and another split off from Frelka to chase her. Beep tried to swing at one as it ran but missed.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Frelka heard as Shryke disappeared back into the fog.


    With just two in front of him, Frelka felt confident enough to press forward. He sent Falling Sun carving through the air, slamming against the side of one Fogman¡¯s club. The hiss that followed told him the creature had felt it. His blade bit into flesh. He spun and caught the creature again, this time in the ribs, before it could raise its defense. The Fogman crumpled.


    Just as he turned to the other, he saw the tip of a blade jutting from its chest. The tip vanished, and the creature slumped. Beep stood behind it, proud¨Chis two Fogmen completely forgotten in his pursuit of a kill.


    ¡°Ha, Beep is¨C¡± His breath rushed out as he was struck from behind and fell flat on the ground.


    Fear hit Frelka like a blow to the stomach. In a moment, he felt as though he were back at that night. He rushed in, just in time to stop the other Fogman from jumping on Beep¨Cbut it cost him.


    A blow slammed into his head.


    His vision blurred, then went black.


    ~~


    ¡°Psst. Frelka, wake up!¡±


    The hiss of Shryke¡¯s voice jolted Frelka to consciousness.


    Dammit! He was tied to another pole. His head throbbed. Suddenly, that same fear gripped his stomach, and he frantically glanced around until he found Shryke tied up nearby.


    ¡°About time,¡± she whispered. ¡°Listen, we still have a little bit of time until dark, but we¡¯ve got to get out of here before another group arrives.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Frelka began groggily, ¡°what happened? Where¡¯s Beep?!¡±


    ¡°Quiet down,¡± she hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t know where Beep is, but I haven¡¯t heard him scream, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± She paused before adding, ¡°Though if I find him, I¡¯ll be the one making him scream. The idiot made another one of his stupid war speeches after we finished off the first group and got us captured!¡±


    ¡°The first group?¡± Frelka asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Shryke rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, I was working on finishing off the last of the ones that charged me when Beep came up and saved me from taking a strike to the leg. He killed it, but then he started going on and on about how he was the hero of the battle and how he had saved me!¡±


    ¡°Wait, but didn¡¯t you just say he did?¡± Frelka interrupted.


    Shryke shot a dark look at him. ¡°Yes, but only after I had killed, what, half of the group? That doesn¡¯t make¨Cwhatever. Anyway, he frustrated me, and I told him to shut up. Next thing I know, we¡¯ve got another group rushing us.


    ¡°Three of them scoop you up instantly and start moving you toward the nearest pole while the rest rush toward us. I did what I could to kite the group, but eventually I ran out of bolts. I wasn¡¯t able to pull more from my pack, and unfortunately, I had taken a few hits and couldn¡¯t outrun them. Beep was nowhere to be found. I engaged as best I could, but there were just too many. I came to not long ago, tied to this pole.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Frelka said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he began hesitantly, ¡°it just sounds like your yelling might have also played a part in you guys being noticed, ja?¡±


    Shryke¡¯s eyes flared with fire. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have had to yell if he had kept his mouth shut. Besides, is that really what you want to focus on right now?! We¡¯ve got to get out of here before they get too hungry. I¡¯ve already got my bindings loosened. Once you get yours, we can try to sneak out of here. Luckily, we¡¯re actually on the northern end of the area! With a little more luck, we should be able to continue heading north.¡±


    ¡°But Beep is¨C¡±


    ¡°Somewhere that isn¡¯t here,¡± she said firmly. ¡°We won¡¯t find him tied to these poles. Our best bet is to get out of here and hope we get lucky and find wherever they took him.¡±


    Frelka¡¯s memory of Beep being eaten played vividly in his head. Dammit, he thought, this can¡¯t be happening again!


    Why had he been so reckless as to get himself knocked out? Surely he could have saved Beep without exposing himself like he did. He did his best to push his remorse from his mind and focused on undoing his bindings. He struggled and wriggled but couldn¡¯t seem to find a place to begin loosening them.


    Suddenly, he felt another pair of hands picking at his bindings. He glanced back to see Beep concentrating intently on the ropes.


    ¡°Beep!¡± Frelka whisper-screamed.


    ¡°Shhh,¡± Beep hushed. ¡°Beep needs to concentrate. Frelka must be quiet. Fogmen are all around and Princes are on their way. We need to leave now!¡±


    A moment later, Frelka was free. He and Shryke crouched down and looked at Beep, who held a finger to his lips and gestured for them to follow him.


    ~~


    Later that night, as they laid down on their bedrolls, Shryke rolled over and asked, ¡°Where did you disappear to earlier, Beep? I thought you had been captured!¡±


    ¡°Beep would have been if he had stayed. I tried to think what you would have done in the same situation and realized that our capture was inevitable. But, if I was able to sneak away, I could come back for you later. So, that¡¯s what Beep did. I disappeared into the fog and waited until Frelka woke up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­actually really smart,¡± Shryke said, making no attempt to hide her surprise. ¡°I¡¯m really proud of you, Beep. That decision may be the only reason we¡¯re alive right now.¡±


    It was too dark to see either of their faces, but Frelka could tell Beep was beaming from Shryke¡¯s unexpected praise.


    They had decided that camping on one of the hills outside of the fog was likely too dangerous. Sleeping in a secluded alcove inside the fog would provide much more cover during the night than an open plain. And since fire would only draw attention¨Cand the Heavies and Princes came out at night¨Cthere was no sense in trying to travel after dark.


    So, they had found a secluded area and nested down. Slowly, Frelka drifted off to sleep.


    ~~


    A soul-piercing scream jolted the three of them from their sleep.


    ¡°What the hells was that?¡± Frelka hissed from the darkness.


    ¡°The same thing it is every night,¡± Shryke whispered, dread thick in her voice, ¡°the sacrifices.¡±


    Even though they had fallen asleep to it every night since he had arrived in Mongrel, Frelka had never considered how awful it would be trying to sleep amongst the screams.


    The remainder of his night was filled with shallow sleep and haunted dreams.


    ~~


    ¡°Oh, sweet Maker!¡± Shryke screamed as she ran ahead and fell to the ground. ¡°We made it! We actually made it!¡±


    Tears were already falling from her face as she hugged the ground.


    Even Frelka couldn¡¯t help but tear up at the freedom he felt. He looked back over his shoulder and down the hill at the fog behind them, like the edges of a deep ocean lapping at the shore. It had taken them almost five days to finally make their way out of the fog.


    Now that they were free, Frelka realized how heavy and oppressive the fog¡¯s presence had become in his life. Knowing he was free from its torment made him feel lighter than he had since leaving home.


    He smiled and glanced over at Shryke, who had gotten up from the ground and was now hugging Beep tightly and bouncing up and down.


    She let go of him and turned to Frelka, rushing at him and almost tackling him with the force of her hug. ¡°You told me you¡¯d get us out. I didn¡¯t believe you, but I¡¯ll be damned if you didn¡¯t do it, you big ox.¡±